Life Unexpected
by elizabethB88
Summary: A Nathan/Elizabeth story: When Calls the Heart with a Love Comes Softly twist. Takes place after the season 7 Christmas episode.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: This is meant to be a story based after the season 7 Christmas episode. It'll be relatively short and will end before season 7 begins (at least in theory). It wasn't initially in my plans for a fanfic, but it started bouncing around in my head, so I thought I'd share it. I hope you enjoy it!_

Nathan Grant strode down the street, lost in his thoughts. He was dressed in his civilian clothes, being off duty for the day. People called out to him in greeting as he passed, and he acknowledged them with smiles. He was headed for the schoolhouse to pick up Allie. On his rare days off, he liked to walk home with her.

As he approached the school, he could hear a booming voice coming from the inside. He frowned. That certainly wasn't Elizabeth. It took him a moment to place it, and when he did, his stomach dropped.

Lucas.

What was he doing there? Nathan listened for a few moments. Lucas had on his magician voice, and Nathan guessed he had been invited there to teach the students magic tricks. Within a few minutes, his guess was confirmed. He heard the school bell ring out, and the doors opened. The children of Hope Valley came swarming out, laughing happily. Allie's face lit up when she saw him.

"Hi, Uncle Nathan! Guess what?"

"What?" he asked, smiling at his precious niece.

Her eyes were sparkling. "Mr. Bouchard came to teach us about magic tricks! It was so cool!"

"I'll bet it was," Nathan said rather dryly. He looked up to see Lucas and Elizabeth laughing and talking in the doorway. Neither seemed to notice him.

A sharp pain went through him at the sight of them together. Nathan knew Lucas liked Elizabeth, and it seemed to him that the feeling was mutual. There had been too many indications to point that way. Each time Nathan thought he might be gaining some ground with Elizabeth, Lucas showed up again and seemed to prove him wrong.

Ever since Christmas, and even going back to that blasted Ladies' Choice dance, Nathan's mind was convinced that Elizabeth wasn't interested in him. She seemed interested in Lucas.

Now if he could just convince his heart to move on. He had developed intense feelings for the sweet, gentle-natured Elizabeth to a depth that surprised him. He'd never been good with feelings, though, and he did his best to push them down when they showed no signs of being reciprocated.

Once again, he pushed his feelings aside and put a hand on Allie's shoulder, swallowing the pain of seeing the ease and flow of the interactions between Elizabeth and Lucas. "Come on, Allie, let's go home," he said.

Allie turned and waved at Elizabeth. "Bye, Mrs. Thornton!" she called out. Nathan's stomach dropped again as she looked their way.

"Bye, Allie!" she called back, waving. Her eyes momentarily locked with Nathan's, and she paused as if searching for something. He did his best to maintain a neutral expression. After a moment, she smiled slightly at him. "Bye, Nathan."

He nodded at her, then at Lucas, and turned away. The suppressed feelings tried to resurface, but he shoved them deeper down. He had to get over this, for Elizabeth's sake. She deserved happiness, whether that included him or not. Hearing her laughter mingling with Lucas', he figured it was likely it didn't include him. He sighed inwardly, falling into step with Allie. At least he had her. He was so thankful for his niece. He didn't know where he would be without her.

* * *

"Thanks again for coming today, Lucas," Elizabeth said as Lucas walked down the steps.

"My pleasure," he returned with a little bow. "I'm glad your students enjoyed the tricks." He paused for a moment, a hesitant look on his normally confident face. "Elizabeth, I was wondering if maybe you would like to have dinner with me tonight at the saloon."

Elizabeth blinked, surprised. She thought about it for a moment before responding. "Thank you for the kind offer, Lucas, but I need to get home to my son and spend some time with him. It's spaghetti night, a tradition we have with Lee and Rosemary."

Lucas smiled. "Of course. Maybe some other time, then."

"Maybe."

Lucas tipped his hat to her and headed back to town. Elizabeth's eyes followed him. She knew he was interested in her, but she simply wasn't sure how she felt about him. They had an easy friendship and camaraderie that she enjoyed, but she wasn't sure if there was a spark. Lucas was a good man; she just wasn't sure he was the right man for her. And she still missed Jack everyday. She twisted the wedding ring on her left finger, a tangible reminder of the man she had loved and lost. A pang went through her, and she closed the doors of the school, walking quickly back home to keep her mind from the thoughts trying to envelop her.

As she passed the rowhouses before hers, she saw Nathan on his front porch, hanging something on the door. She watched for a moment without him seeing her, smiling as she realized what he had done. Allie had made a winter wreath to replace the Christmas one, and Nathan was placing the new one on their front door for everyone to see. It was clear that he loved his niece, and Elizabeth was glad Allie had such a good man in her life to raise her.

A good man…

Nathan truly was good. A little reserved and shy, perhaps, but he was fiercely loyal and protective of those he loved and cared about. Lately she had noticed her stomach doing little flips when she saw him unexpectedly. She hadn't tried to analyze those feelings; she had simply acknowledged them and decided to inspect them later. She wasn't sure she was ready to accept what her mind was trying to tell her about this man.

For the second time in five minutes, she started walking rapidly, trying to escape the thoughts that were coming over her. She barely noticed the man on horseback passing her, nor did she pause to wonder why a stranger was riding into Hope Valley. She simply wanted to get home to her son and spend some quality time with him, away from the confusing feelings coursing through her.

* * *

Nathan turned at the sound of hooves approaching. He saw Elizabeth walking towards her rowhouse and wondered why he hadn't heard her pass. His thoughts were interrupted as a man on horseback stopped in front of his house.

"Constable Nathan Grant?" the man asked.

"Yes?" Nathan said.

The man handed him a rolled-up document, not even bothering to get off his horse. "This is for you. If you have any questions, there's a number to call on the document." Without any other explanation, the man took off down the road again. Nathan stared after him in confusion. What in the world? He glanced at the paper in his hand for a moment, then untied the small piece of rope holding it shut. Unrolling it, he read the brief lines and froze. He could feel the blood draining from his face, and he had to grab onto the porch railing to keep himself upright.

"No, no, this can't be happening," he said, panic mounting. Turmoil clouded his mind. For a moment he couldn't think. Then an idea sprang to mind. He ran the short distance to town, bursting into Bill Avery's office without knocking. Bill looked up in exasperation at the interruption, but his face relaxed when he saw who it was.

"It's unlike you to come rushing into this office so suddenly," Bill observed dryly. His expression changed when he saw the ashen look on Nathan's face. Standing abruptly, he came around his desk. "What's wrong, Nathan?"

"This," Nathan said, shoving the paper at Bill. Bill read it, then looked up sharply.

"Is this for real?"

Nathan shook his head, slumping at the shoulders. "I sure hope not, Bill, but it looks to be so." Rare tears threatened to fall. "I didn't know where else to turn. You're the judge. Is this even possible?"

Bill examined the document more closely, but the more he studied it, the more he feared it was legitimate. He went back to his desk, motioning to the chair across from him. "Sit down, Nathan. You look like you're going to pass out."

Nathan took a seat without argument. He spread his hands out, anger starting to build inside of him. "How can he do this?" he demanded, his voice rising with each word. "Allie's father abandoned her when my sister died, and now he thinks he can just waltz back into her life and take custody? He has no right!"

"I agree with you," Bill said. "But the law might not be on our side. Can I keep this for today?" he asked, holding up the paper. Nathan nodded, the anger vanishing as quickly as it had come, dismay and fear taking its place. Bill smiled grimly. "I'll look through the law books and see what I can find. If there's a way out of this, I'll find it, Nathan."

Nathan stood. "Thanks, Bill." He reached out to shake Bill's hand. "I appreciate it."

* * *

The next day, Bill hesitated outside the Mountie office, knowing Nathan wasn't going to like the news he brought. It looked like there was only one way for Nathan to keep Allie in his custody, and he doubted Nathan was going to be happy about it. Pushing open the door, he entered the room.

Nathan stood when he saw him, hope lighting his eyes momentarily. "Did you find anything?" he asked eagerly.

Bill nodded slowly. "Yes, but…"

"Oh, thank God!" Nathan said, breathing out a sigh of relief. He collapsed back into his chair. "You don't know how grateful I am to hear that!"

"Don't be too grateful yet," Bill warned. Something in his voice made Nathan sit up straight and study Bill.

"What is it, Bill?"

Bill placed the document on Nathan's desk. "It looks like Allie's father can take custody of her unless you can prove you can provide her with a more stable home life."

Nathan frowned. "I've been doing that for years. What's the problem?"

Bill cleared his throat. "A stable home life, according to the laws, includes you having a wife."

Nathan stared. "A wife?" He laughed. "You've got to be joking!" The look on Bill's face told him he wasn't joking. He stood and began pacing the room. "Did Allie's father remarry?"

"No," Bill said. "I contacted some of my friends at Mountie headquarters, and they confirmed that her father, one Lance Thigpen, is unmarried but looking to reclaim his daughter. They couldn't say why, and this document shows us no reason why either. If you were to be married, they'd be inclined to let you keep Allie because she would have a mother figure as well as a father figure."

"So you're saying that unless I get married, I can't keep Allie? Even though she's been with me for over seven years? How is that just?" Nathan asked, desperation in his voice. His tone turned slightly sarcastic. "And how long would they give me to find a wife?"

"Um, a week," Bill said.

Nathan's mouth dropped. "A week?" he practically shouted. "How am I supposed to get married in a week? I can barely talk to women, much less simply go up to one and ask her to marry me so that I can keep custody of my niece! No one would go for that!" He shoved his hands through his hair, desperation building inside. "What am I supposed to do?"

Bill hated seeing his friend so distressed, but he couldn't blame him. He supposed he would feel the same way if the child he loved like a daughter were taken from him against his will. "You could send for a mail-order bride," he suggested.

Nathan stared at him. "That's still a thing?"

Bill shrugged. "I think so."

Nathan sank into his chair again, shoulders slumped, face in his hands. He thought for a moment, a slight hope rising at Bill's suggestion, but just as quickly it vanished. "Even if that were possible," he said, "no one could get here in a week. It's impossible."

Bill nodded. "You could ask someone in Hope Valley to marry you," he said, knowing as he said it that was even less likely than his first suggestion.

Nathan gave a short laugh. "Right. Just walk up to one of the women in this town and say, 'Hey, want to enter a marriage of convenience?' She'd take one look at me and run in the opposite direction. No one wants to do something that drastic." He dropped his face back into his hands. "Thanks for trying, Bill," he mumbled through his hands. "I need to think."

Bill rose. "I hope you get a miracle, Nathan," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. Nathan nodded. He heard Bill leave and silence descend on his office. In the privacy of the empty room, he let the tears fall. Allie meant everything to him, and he was going to lose her. How was he going to face life without the girl who had brought so much light to it?


	2. Chapter 2

Allie sat outside Uncle Nathan's office in stunned silence. She had come to bring him some food - he never ate when he should - and the door had been cracked open. She could hear him talking with Judge Avery, so she had waited outside on the bench. They had been talking loudly enough that she could overhear everything. At first, she hadn't understood what was going on. Then suddenly it all fell into place. A horror unlike anything she had ever experienced came upon her. She froze in place, unable to move even if she wanted to. Judge Avery came out of the office and walked away, too absorbed in his thoughts to notice Allie sitting there.

She was frightened. Allie hadn't seen her father since she was four years old and she couldn't remember much about him, but she did remember that he was not a nice man. He had hit her many times. Her mother had tried to stop it, but often that resulted in her mom being hit too. Allie remembered feeling safe for the first time when Uncle Nathan had become her guardian. He was a nice man, a good man. She was never afraid of her uncle.

The fear rose until it became suffocating. How could she go back to living with her father? How could anyone allow it?

Grief hit next. How could she leave Uncle Nathan? He was more a father to her than anyone else had been, and she loved him dearly. How could she get on without him? She knew her father wouldn't allow Uncle Nathan to see her ever again. She didn't know how she knew that, but she knew it just the same.

The fear and grief grew until they hit a level that wouldn't allow her to sit still any longer. She bolted up and took off like a shot down the street. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't just stay sitting. She ran and ran and ran, her eyes unseeing, just trying to get away from the feelings swirling inside of her. Finally she came to a stop at the school. Sitting on the steps, Allie burst into uncontrollable sobs, giving vent to her emotions. She cried harder than she ever had before in her life, even when her mother died. She had finally found a place to call home with Uncle Nathan. Life was good here, and life was good with him. Now it was all going to be yanked away from her.

Allie let the sobs continue, not realizing how loud they were. She didn't care. Life as she knew it was about to come to an end.

* * *

Elizabeth sat at her desk in the school, working on grading some papers. It wasn't often she came to the school on a Saturday, but she'd been feeling a little swamped lately and wanted to catch up on grading. Little Jack played on the floor contentedly, rolling a toy car around in circles. He was making small babbling noises, so Elizabeth didn't at first notice the cries coming from outside.

A muffled wail soon caught her attention. She frowned, looking at her son in concern, but he was playing happily with his toy. She strained her ears, wondering if it would come again. It did, and this time she heard the sobs accompanying it. Now truly concerned, she hurried to the door and opened it to the chilly afternoon air. Her heart caught. Allie was practically laying across the steps, her head cradled in her arms, crying as if her heart were breaking.

"Allie!" Elizabeth exclaimed, sitting on the steps next to her student. Allie looked up, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, tears streaking her cheeks. "What's wrong, honey? Did something happen to your uncle?" A shot of fear smote her heart, thinking that something had happened to Nathan.

"N...n...no!" Allie stammered out between sobs. "He's...going...t...to...take...m...me...away!"

Confusion furrowed Elizabeth's brow. "Who's going to take you away?"

"My...my...father!" Allie cried, flinging herself into Elizabeth's arms and crying against her chest. Elizabeth still felt confused, but she held Allie tightly as the child cried, her arms wrapped around Elizabeth's neck like a lifeline. Allie's father hadn't been in her life since she was four years old. How could he try to take her away now? Nathan was Allie's guardian; her father was not.

Eventually, Allie's sobs lessened. She leaned heavily into Elizabeth, clearly exhausted. Elizabeth stroked Allie's hair in long, soothing motions, hoping the gesture would help the girl feel better. Allie gave a long shuddering sigh, her breath coming in raspy spurts from crying for so long. Elizabeth pulled a hanky from her pocket and wiped Allie's face, smoothing the tears from her face.

"Now, Allie, tell me what this is all about."

Allie didn't move, but she began talking in halting sentences. "I heard Uncle Nathan and Judge Avery talking. They said my father is going to take me away. There's nothing Uncle Nathan can do to stop him."

"Nothing?" Elizabeth asked. "Are you sure they said there was nothing that could be done?"

"Well, there was one thing, but it's not going to happen," Allie replied with a sniffle.

"Why not?"

"Because it's impossible. Even I can see that it's impossible."

Elizabeth frowned. "Nothing is impossible, Allie. I'm sure if there's a way out, your Uncle Nathan will take it. Can you tell me what it is?"

Allie sniffed again and looked up at Elizabeth, her brown eyes swimming with tears. "He would have to get married in less than a week."

"Oh." Despite what she'd said seconds ago, Elizabeth could see why Allie thought it was an impossible situation. It was. Hoping to distract Allie, Elizabeth said, "I know you were only four when you last saw your dad, but do you remember anything about him?"

Her words had the opposite effect of what she'd intended. Allie shrank into her and her face became a mask of fear. "Allie? What is it?"

Allie buried her head in Elizabeth's shoulder. Her words came out muffled. "I don't remember a lot, Mrs. Thornton, but I do remember he was not a nice man."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked. "Was he an angry man?"

"Yes," Allie said, her body trembling. "All the time. Especially when he'd been drinking."

"Your father was a drinker?" Elizabeth said slowly. She lifted Allie's face. "Did he ever hurt you, Allie?"

The tears started falling from Allie's eyes again. She simply nodded, affirming Elizabeth's fears.

Elizabeth's heart dropped to her stomach, her arm instinctively curling protectively around Allie. "How often?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, hardly knowing if she wanted to know the answer.

"Most days," Allie answered. She sniffed again, and quiet sobs began to shake her body. "I can't go back to him, Mrs. Thornton! I just can't!" She started to cry harder. "And I don't want to leave Uncle Nathan! He's the best person I've ever known. He's like a father to me. I want to stay with him, not go back to that man!"

Elizabeth held Allie tightly. She spoke before thinking about the words coming out of her mouth. "You won't, sweetheart. I promise you, you won't."

Allie's sobs lessened, and she lifted suddenly hope-filled eyes to Elizabeth. "Really? How?"

Realizing her mistake, but refusing to take back the words, Elizabeth pushed the hair back from Allie's eyes. "I don't know yet, but you can be sure I will find a way."

Allie didn't say anything, but her eyes showed her gratitude.

A babbling of jibberish caught their attention. Little Jack was at the top of the stairs, delighted to see Allie. He scooted down the steps one at a time and crawled into her lap. Allie held onto the little boy tightly, kissing his cheek and murmuring to him. The three of them sat there huddled together, Allie drawing comfort from their presence.

Elizabeth's mind was on the promise she had given Allie. She didn't know how she was going to manage it, but she was determined not to disappoint the child. She couldn't stomach it if Allie were sent back to an abusive father. No, she was not going to let that happen.

* * *

Nathan paced his living room, desperately trying to come up with a solution to the problem he found himself in. There was no way he was going to let Allie go, but he didn't know how he could possibly stop it. His mind whirled with ideas, all of them impossible. He let out a frustrated sigh, trying to keep quiet so as not to wake Allie. She was upstairs in her room, having finally fallen asleep after a fitful evening. He'd found out that she overheard him talking with Bill, and that had added to his heartbreak. He had hoped to find a solution before telling Allie the news.

A knock sounded at the door. Nathan briefly considered not answering it. He was in no mood to talk to anyone. But he answered it anyways, thinking there was a possibility it could be Bill.

He pulled open the door, and there stood Elizabeth. His heart gave an involuntary lurch.

"Hi, Nathan," she said. "Can I come in?"

Silently, he nodded, stepping back so that she could enter the house. He closed the door behind her, wondering what she was doing there at this hour. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"No," she said directly, turning to face him. "Allie told me everything this afternoon."

"I see." Allie hadn't mentioned that to him.

Elizabeth folded her arms over her chest. "Nathan, Allie can't go back to her father."

"You know that and I know that," Nathan said, feeling frustrated. "But my hands are tied, Elizabeth. There's nothing I can do. I've been wracking my brain all day for a solution, and nothing is coming to me."

"Allie said the only way you can keep her is to marry. Is that true?"

Heart dropping once again, Nathan nodded without a word. They had found themselves in a hopeless situation.

"Have you considered a mail-order bride?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan gave a harsh laugh, the sound of a man in desperate straights. "Yes, I've considered that. I even looked to see if there was any way to expedite the process, but the sorry truth is that even if I did try that option, no one would be here within a week."

Elizabeth looked almost as worried as he felt. He knew she loved Allie deeply, like she loved all her students. This had to be affecting her too. She looked like she wanted to say something more, but was uncertain of doing so. He waited for her to decide.

Squaring her shoulders, Elizabeth plunged ahead. "What if you asked one of the women in this town?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Nathan said, wondering for a moment if he'd heard her right.

"You could ask someone in Hope Valley to marry you, and then you could keep Allie," Elizabeth repeated, looking him right in the eyes.

He laughed again, this time incredulously. "Elizabeth, I can't just walk up to a woman and say, 'I need a wife so that I can continue raising my niece. Would you like to enter into a marriage of convenience?'" He shook his head. "No one's going to accept that."

"You'll never know if you don't try."

"Right," he said, coming to stand in front of her, almost close enough to invade her personal space. He'd never dared to get this close to her before. "And who is going to go for that, Elizabeth? You?" He pointed at her, raising a brow. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed bright pink. He continued on. "Fiona? Florence? Molly? No." He shook his head. "The single women in this town deserve to marry because they are in love, not because their town's Mountie needs a wife for the sake of his niece. I couldn't ask that of them."

"Even if it means losing Allie?" Elizabeth asked softly.

Nathan's eyes filled with tears again. He didn't even bother hiding them from Elizabeth. "What else can I do? Her father has the claim on her. The law is on his side, not mine." He cleared his throat, afraid his voice would break if he didn't. "It's an impossible situation."

"Nothing is impossible, Nathan," Elizabeth said gently. "There's always a way out."

"If there is in this case, I can't see it," Nathan replied glumly. He sank onto the settee and buried his hands in his face. "I just can't see it."

Elizabeth was quiet for several moments. When she spoke again, she sent shock waves through Nathan's entire body.

"I'll marry you."

His hands dropped from his face. He stared at Elizabeth, mouth agape, not believing what he had just heard. "You'll what?"

Elizabeth's face showed traces of hesitation and uncertainty, but she was also determined and resolute. "I'll marry you, Nathan." She nodded as though affirming the decision to herself. "It'll be convenient for both of us. You'll get to keep Allie, and Jack will have a good father figure in his life."

Nathan was silent for a moment, fighting the emotions rising within him. As much as he was attracted to her, he couldn't ask her to throw away a chance to remarry for love. From what he had heard, she and her late husband had a long and beautiful love story. She deserved to find something like that again, not to be saddled to a man she didn't love. He knew he could easily fall in love with her - if he was honest, he was already well on his way to being in love with her - but he couldn't ask her to marry him when she didn't feel the same way. He had been under the impression lately that she wasn't interested, and for her to marry him just for convenience's sake felt wrong. He couldn't let her do that.

"Elizabeth, I…"

She cut him off before he could finish. "Nathan, I think it's what's best for everyone."

He shook his head, staring at her. "Not for you, it's not," he said. "You would be giving up the chance to find love again. I can't be the one who gets in the way of that."

"You wouldn't be getting in the way. I know full well what I'm doing, Nathan. It's the only way, and you know it." She looked down, blushing slightly. "Besides, like you said, it's for convenience. We'd be more like roommates than husband and wife. But it would benefit the children." She walked over to him and held out her hand, as though making a business deal. "What do you say?"

He looked at her hand, then into her eyes. He saw equal parts fear and courage in their depths. He took her hand in his, refusing to shake it but rather holding it gently, hardly daring to believe this was real. "Elizabeth, are you sure? This will affect you the most."

She glanced at their joined hands, taking a deep breath as if to steady herself. "I'm sure."

He stood, silent for a long time just looking at her. "Alright," he said finally. "I guess that settles it."

She smiled at him tremulously, all her emotions written across her face. She was nervous but resolute. "I guess it does."


	3. Chapter 3

"You did _what_?!" Rosemary shrieked, clearly unable to believe her ears. Lee was staring at Elizabeth in stunned silence. Bill stood to the side, arms folded, face set like a stone statue.

Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself. This was not a promising start. How was she going to go through with this crazy plan if her friends didn't support her? "I told Nathan I would marry him. That way Allie stays here in Hope Valley with him, and Jack will have a father to help raise him."

"But Bill and Lee are great father figures for Jack!" Rosemary exclaimed.

"True," Elizabeth agreed. "And I'm very thankful for that. But it's not quite the same, and you know that, Rosemary."

"Elizabeth, are you sure?" Lee asked, concern etched all over his face. Rosemary sat beside him sputtering, rendered speechless for probably only the second or third time in her life.

She sighed. "Yes, Lee, I'm sure. I've been thinking about this all night, whether or not it was the right decision. I believe it is." Placing a hand against her stomach as if to brace herself, she admitted, "But that doesn't mean this was an easy decision. I never thought I would marry for anything besides love."

"You don't have to," Rosemary said, finding her voice again. "This situation with Allie is certainly sad, and I admire your desire to give her a happy ending, but does it have to come at the expense of your own?" She got up and put an arm around Elizabeth. "Is this really what you want to do?"

Steeling herself, Elizabeth nodded. "It was my own choice. Nathan didn't ask. In fact, he looked horrified when I suggested it." She wouldn't admit it to her friends, but that look had felt like a knife in her gut. Was the thought of marrying her really so awful, or was he that concerned that she would be throwing away the chance to find love again? Either way, she had felt that look acutely.

Bill stepped forward, finally breaking his silence. "Elizabeth, I want you to be happy. You know that. I like Nathan and I know he would be good to you, but do you think this is something that could bring you happiness?"

Elizabeth thought for a few moments before responding. "Honestly, Bill, I don't know. It will make me happy to have little Jack cared for by both a mother and a father. It will make me happy that Allie will be cared for in that way as well."

Bill surveyed her face, searching for truth. "Do you have any feelings for him at all, Elizabeth?"

How was she supposed to answer that? Her feelings for Nathan were confused at best. Sometimes she thought she felt a spark between them, and other times she was so frustrated at his lack of communication that she wanted to smack him. His refusal to tell her about his job promotion back at Christmastime stood out in her mind. He had ultimately decided to turn it down, but it still stung slightly that he hadn't trusted her enough to share that information. Especially since she had asked him several times if anything was wrong. Turning her attention back to Bill, she gave a succinct answer. "I think so."

Bill smiled slightly. "It's obvious he has feelings for you. I never see him more tongue-tied than when he's trying to talk to you."

That broke the tension, and Elizabeth laughed. That was certainly true. Words were not Nathan's strong point.

Rosemary was studying Elizabeth's face. She must have seen the determination there. "You're going to go through with this, aren't you?"

"Yes, Rosemary."

Rosemary let out a breath. "You're my best friend, so I won't lie to you, Elizabeth. I don't like this." She hugged Elizabeth tightly, holding on longer than usual. "But I will support you," she whispered, tears evident in her voice.

Elizabeth pulled back, matching tears in her own eyes. "Thank you, Rosemary. That means a lot." She looked at the three of them. "I want you all there at the wedding. We're just going to go see Pastor Simon and have him do a quick ceremony. That's all. Allie and Jack will be there too."

"We'll be there, Elizabeth," Lee said. "When is it?"

Hesitating, knowing they wouldn't like the answer, Elizabeth said, "This afternoon."

"This afternoon!" Rosemary cried. "Elizabeth, that's not enough time for a proper wedding!"

"Nothing about this situation is what I'd call proper," Elizabeth said, smiling in spite of herself. Even though Rosemary wasn't thrilled, she still had it in her mind that a wedding had to be a big deal. It was good to know some things never changed. "All we need is the preacher to marry us, and you as witnesses. We'll figure out how to explain it to the townspeople later."

"Fine," Rosemary said with a huff. "But you are going to let me do your hair, at the very least. Marriage of convenience notwithstanding, you're going to look lovely."

* * *

"Allie!" Nathan called up the stairs. "Can you come down here, please? I need to talk to you."

His niece appeared reluctantly at the top of the stairs and slowly descended them. Judging from her eyes, she'd spent most of the morning crying. Her shoulders were slumped over, and she looked like a child defeated.

It broke his heart.

"Come here, Allie," he said wrapping his arms around her. They stood in an embrace for several minutes. Nathan was horrible with words, and he sensed in this instance Allie just needed to be held.

Allie wiped her cheeks and looked up at Nathan, putting on her brave face. "I'm okay, Uncle Nathan."

"No, you're not," he said. "Let's sit." They sat on the settee, and Nathan put an arm around Allie again. "I have something to tell you, Allie. Something I hope will make you feel better."

"I doubt anything can make me feel better right now," Allie said sadly.

"I think this will. We've found a way to keep you here with me."

Allie's eyes brightened instantly. "Really? How?"

Nathan cleared his throat, still having a hard time believing that Elizabeth would marry him for the sake of his niece. "I found someone who was willing to marry me."

Allie's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. "You...did?" she said, sounding exceedingly surprised. A little too surprised.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" he protested.

"You're wonderful," Allie affirmed quickly. "But you said finding someone to marry you would be impossible. Who did you ask?"

"Um, I didn't exactly ask," he admitted. "She offered."

"Really? Who's 'she'?" Allie asked. "Do I like her?"

Nathan smiled. "Yes, Allie, you like her very much."

Before he could continue, Allie's eyes widened even more. "Is it Mrs. Thornton?" she gasped.

Nathan simply nodded. Allie's face lit up in a beatific smile. "Really?" She laughed for the first time since she'd found out about her father wanting to take her back. "She did it!"

"She did what?"

"She promised me she would find a way to keep me here, and she did! I thought she was just trying to make me feel better." She clapped her hands. "This is better than I thought it could be."

_At least someone is thrilled about this whole thing_, Nathan thought wryly. Allie shot up from the settee. "I need to go thank her," she said. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," Nathan responded. "We have to be at the church in a couple hours, though, so be back before then to get ready."

"You're getting married today?" Allie questioned. "Isn't that fast?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, but it has to be today. Pastor Simon is going out of town tomorrow and won't be back for a few weeks."

"Oh, okay," Allie said with a shrug. "I'll see you in a little bit." She took off out the door, hurrying to Elizabeth's house to show her gratitude.

Nathan sat on the settee, his emotions conflicting. He was glad to see Allie so happy. He was relieved that she was able to stay with him. But he was worried about Elizabeth, concerned that she might regret her decision eventually. What if she ended up resenting him? And how much was her offer to marry him guided by the promise she had made to his niece?

As he thought, an idea came to him. What if he gave her the option of bowing out once Allie was old enough to no longer need a guardian? That was only about six years away, and Elizabeth would still be relatively young and able to find love again. He mulled the idea over, then nodded. He would let her know that their sham marriage could be annulled if she so chose when the time came.

* * *

Elizabeth stared at her reflection in the mirror, butterflies beating hard against her stomach. She let out a hard pent-up breath, hoping it would relieve the butterflies. It didn't.

"What am I doing, Rosemary?" she asked, nerves starting to get the better of her. "I offered to marry Nathan, and now I'm so nervous. We haven't talked about anything except that this will be a convenience marriage. What does that even look like?" Her hands were shaking, so she stuck them in her lap.

Rosemary took a pin out of her mouth and expertly placed it in Elizabeth's hair. Since she'd had time to think about Elizabeth's situation, she had gradually warmed up to the idea. "You'll figure that out as you go," she said gently. She looked Elizabeth in the eyes through the mirror. "Are you having second thoughts? There's still time to back out."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply, but a knock on the door stopped her. Rosemary went to open it, and Allie came flying in, heading straight for Elizabeth and flinging herself into her arms.

"You kept your promise!" she said, looking up at Elizabeth with sparkling eyes. "I get to stay here, and the best part is that I'll have you as an aunt! Thank you so much, Mrs. Thornton!" She hugged her tightly.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Allie, looking at Rosemary. Unspoken words passed between them, and Rosemary nodded. "This is why you're doing it," she said in a voice too soft for Allie to hear. Elizabeth nodded.

Turning her attention to Allie, she smiled. "You don't have to call me 'Mrs. Thornton' anymore," she said. "Like you said, we're about to become family. You can call me Aunt Elizabeth."

Allie grinned. "Does this mean Jack is going to be my cousin?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, it does. Though I think the two of you will be more like brother and sister than cousins."

"I've always wanted a brother," Allie said. "This is going to be fun." She looked around, a thought clearly occurring to her. "Are we going to live here with you or at Uncle Nathan's?"

"Um, that's a good question," Elizabeth said. "I don't know. Your uncle and I still need to talk over a lot of things. Where we're going to live is one of those things."

"I think we should live here," Allie announced. "Uncle Nathan and I have only been living in our rowhouse for a few months, and you've been here for much longer."

"We'll see," Elizabeth said, not wanting to commit to anything, especially without talking to Nathan.

Allie took Elizabeth's hand, examining her ring. "Are you going to keep wearing this?" she asked with all the innocence of a child, unaware of how that question set Elizabeth's insides to swirling.

"Um…" Elizabeth managed to choke out. Rosemary came to her rescue.

"Allie," she said, "why don't you run along and get yourself ready for the ceremony? You'll see your Aunt Elizabeth there, and there will be plenty of time for questions once everything is settled."

"Okay!" Allie agreed cheerfully. She hugged Elizabeth again. "Thank you for doing this," she said, meeting Elizabeth's eyes. "I know this isn't an ideal situation, but I truly appreciate what you're doing for us."

Elizabeth blinked. Allie was showing a maturity beyond her years. "It's my pleasure, sweetheart," she said sincerely.

Allie skipped out of the house, closing the door behind her. Rosemary met Elizabeth's eyes, concern in hers. "Are you alright, Elizabeth?" she asked.

Elizabeth's eyes were fixed on her ring. "I don't suppose I can keep wearing Jack's ring if I'm getting married to Nathan," she said, slowing twisting the ring back and forth. Tears sprang to her eyes. "But I don't know if I can take it off." After debating within herself for a few moments, she decided on a compromise. Sliding the ring off her left ring finger, she slid it onto her right one. "There. That shouldn't be a problem."

"I think Nathan will understand," Rosemary said.

"I hope so," Elizabeth sighed. Her face fell again. "Rosemary, I don't know how I feel about giving up his name, either. In a couple hours, my last name will be Grant, not Thornton."

"This is a lot to process," Rosemary agreed. "You're giving up a lot, Elizabeth. But you're not going to lose your memories. Jack will always be with you, and you have a visible reminder of him all the time through little Jack." She smiled quietly as she ran a brush through Elizabeth's hair, lost in thought. After a while, she said, "You know, I don't think I"ve ever seen someone demonstrate the kind of love you are right now."

"What do you mean?"

Rosemary continued brushing. "Agape love: willing the good of another person for their own sake. I don't remember where I heard that, but I've not really seen it in action until now. Marriage always involves agape love, but you are showing it in its purest form."

Elizabeth smiled lightly. "When did you get poetic?"

"Me?" Rosemary blinked. "Do you see who you're talking to?"

Elizabeth laughed, some of the tension releasing from her stomach. "Thank you, Rosemary. That's kind of you to say."

"It's the truth," Rosemary said. "You're giving up so much, but you're doing it out of love for a child. I wish I had your courage."

"I don't know if courage is the right word. Right now I just feel terrified at the uncertainty of the future."

Rosemary leaned down so that she was face to face with her friend. "Terrified or not, you won't be doing this alone, Elizabeth. Lee and I will be with you every step of the way." She straightened again, resuming her brushing and styling. "Now, let's get you ready for your wedding."

* * *

Nathan stood in the church, pacing a little nervously off to one side. Allie was chattering away with Pastor Simon. Once she had found out she wasn't going away, she had gone back to her usual self. Bill sat in a pew near Nathan, watching him pace. Finally, he got up and walked over to him. "Nathan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Nathan said, letting out his breath. Bill raised a brow. "Okay, I'm not so fine. What have I agreed to, Bill? I feel like I can't let Elizabeth do this, but I can't lose Allie either. This feels like a situation in which no one wins, not really."

Bill put a hand on his shoulder. "Elizabeth is a strong woman. She would not have agreed to this if she didn't believe it was the right thing to do."

"The right thing to do for everyone but herself, maybe," Nathan countered. "She's giving up so much. Too much."

"And gaining a lot, too. Remember that, Nathan. This isn't how she would have planned on her life going, but she's about to gain a daughter and have a father for her son. And she's going to have you as well. You're a good man, Nathan, and I know you'll take good care of her."

"Of course I will," Nathan said. "But…"

"But what?"

"But what if I keep falling for her?" Nathan whispered, glancing at Allie as he spoke the words out loud for the first time, hoping she couldn't hear them. She would inadvertently tell Elizabeth. "What if I fall in love with her but she never feels the same?"

Bill smiled. "Admitting you could be in love is the first step, Nathan. Just love her. If she never feels the same way, you'll figure out how to navigate life together regardless. Don't borrow worries from the future that haven't materialized and may never happen. God only knows what your future holds."

"I'm going to give her the option of having the marriage annulled when Allie is a legal adult," Nathan said.

"I'm not surprised," Bill said. He started to walk away, then looked back at Nathan. "But I doubt she'll accept."

He doubted she would accept? Before Nathan could analyze that, Elizabeth came into the church with Lee and Rosemary. Nathan caught his breath. She was wearing the dress she'd worn to Jack's baptism, and her hair was pinned back with little flowers scattered throughout. She held a small bouquet of wildflowers in her hands. She smiled at him timidly. "Hi, Nathan."

"Elizabeth, you look beautiful," he said. Motioning her toward the side of the church, he said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

She nodded. When they were out of earshot, she said teasingly, "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

Nathan smiled and shook his head, but he could see through her teasing. She was just as nervous as he was, if not more so. And no wonder. She was about to marry someone out of sheer necessity on his part. "Elizabeth, I wanted you to know that I won't hold you to this marriage once Allie is no longer in need of a guardian. We can have it annulled once she turns eighteen, if you want."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open, surprise in her eyes. She took a few moments to think it over, looking at Allie, and then at little Jack in Rosemary's arms. She looked back at him and shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, Nathan, but I believe in the permanence of marriage, even considering these circumstances. I will hold to our vows. Besides, an annulment would mean little Jack would lose you too, and I couldn't do that to him. He already loves you,'" she said with a small smile. "He's going to need you as he gets older."

_And what about you?_ Nathan thought. _Will you need me too?_ He pushed the thoughts away as quickly as they'd come. He couldn't be thinking that way. She didn't love him. She respected him, he knew that, but love was not a part of this agreement.

"Okay," he said, his mind still troubled. He noticed the ring on her right hand and paused. "Are you positive you want to go through with this, then?"

Her chin lifted and she gave a resolute nod. "Yes."

He held out his hand to her. "Alright, let's go." They took their places in front of Pastor Simon. Nathan could hardly focus on the short ceremony. His mind was racing with doubts and concerns, but he repeated the vows and placed a ring on Elizabeth's left hand. He saw the surprise in her eyes when he had produced matching wedding bands. One day he would tell her that they were his grandparents' rings, given to him by his grandmother before he became a Mountie. "Give it to that special woman you find someday," she'd told him. Elizabeth was certainly special. He was pretty sure that this wasn't exactly what his grandmother had envisioned for him, though. No matter. The ring was hers now. Within seconds, Pastor Simon was pronouncing them husband and wife.

"You may kiss the bride," the pastor said automatically, before realizing his mistake.

Elizabeth froze. The room stood still.

He couldn't kiss her, not in the way the preacher meant. The emotions playing out across her face told him that much. Compelled by a force he couldn't recognize, he leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek, barely touching it with his lips. He drew back and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him, gratitude reflecting in her face.

"We did it," she said softly, looking as if she couldn't quite believe it.

Neither could he. This was going to take some time to get used to. But even with all the doubts, even with all his uncertainty, as he gazed into Elizabeth's blue eyes, he had a feeling that they would have a good life together. Even if it had come about simply for the sake of convenience.


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth walked down the stairs of her home. Jack was sleeping soundly in his room, and she had just gotten Allie settled into the guest room. Allie had been chattering a mile a minute in her excitement, but once her head hit the pillow she had fallen fast asleep. The girl had been through so much in the past few days, Elizabeth wasn't surprised she was so tired without realizing it.

She paused at the foot of the stairs. Nathan was sitting on the settee, his back to her. She studied him there for a moment, trying to get used to the idea of a man being in her house. _Their _house, she reminded herself. She hadn't even had to ask him. Moments after the wedding, he'd asked her if she would prefer to stay in her row house or move into his. She'd answered honestly that she would rather stay put, and Nathan had nodded his affirmation. "I'll start moving our things over tomorrow," he'd said.

There was so much they had to talk about. She knew it didn't have to all be tonight, but she did want to at least start the conversation. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the living room and sat next to him.

Nathan gave her a tentative smile and handed her a mug. "I made you some tea," he said. "It's been a long day, and I thought this might help."

She accepted the mug gratefully. "Thank you, Nathan. That was very thoughtful." She took a sip, enjoying the flavor. He'd made peppermint tea, her favorite. Cupping the mug in her hands, she peered at her new husband over the rim.

Her husband.

The concept was so strange to her, and probably would be for a long time. They were friends and had been for some time now, but there had always been a sort of tension between them. Whether it was a romantic tension or something else, Elizabeth wasn't sure. Now they were here, tethered together for the rest of their lives through the bonds of matrimony. It was almost too much for Elizabeth to process. So much had happened so quickly.

She took another sip of the tea, then lowered the mug to her lap. Looking at Nathan, she said, "So, what is this marriage of ours going to look like?"

"What do you want it to look like?" he asked, answering her question with a question.

"Honestly, Nathan, I don't know. I have hardly any experience being married, much less being married to someone under these circumstances."

"But you and Jack were married for some time, weren't you? You must have some idea of what it should be like."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Not really. We were only married for a few weeks before he was sent on his training assignment, and then he was gone. We lived together for two weeks in this house, then had a week for our honeymoon. That was all. We never got the chance to really figure out what married life looked like on a day to day basis." Tears formed in her eyes as she spoke. Though she had accepted Jack's death and was trying to move forward, sometimes the unfairness of it all still got to her. She had been cheated out of a life with the man she loved, and her son had been cheated out of knowing his father. The tears built, and though she tried to stop them, they fell from her eyes.

Nathan reached out, taking Elizabeth's hand in his, doing his best to convey comfort to her as she wiped the tears from her face. He ran his thumb over the ring on her right hand. "You still miss him." It was a statement, not a question.

She nodded. "Very much."

Nathan swallowed hard. "Elizabeth, I hope you know I have no intention of trying to replace Jack, in either your heart or little Jack's. I will be here for both of you in whatever way you need me to be, but I want you to know that I hope you continue to cherish his memory." He glanced at the table near the stairs, the one with her wedding pictures and various photos and mementos of Jack. "From everything I've heard, he was a good man who loved you very much."

"He was," she said, nodding. "And thank you for what you just said, Nathan." She wiped the tears from her eyes again, drawing comfort from the man next to her. He still had her hand in his, offering his strength in her sadness. She sniffed, then gave him a tremulous smile. "So, how do we do this? Live out this marriage?"

Nathan looked thoughtful, his thumb absently running over her fingers. Finally, he spoke. "I don't think we need to figure that out tonight, Elizabeth. I think we take this one day at a time and figure it out as we go. Just like most married couples do, though our circumstances are different than most. We can still take it day by day and learn the ins and outs through trial and error."

Elizabeth nodded. "I think that's a great idea." She gave a little sigh of relief. "I don't know why I thought we had to have it all figured out. You're right that everyone figures it out as they go."

Nathan smiled. "Each marriage is different, but one thing is the same: no one knows what they're doing at first. They learn together."

"Then I guess we'll learn together too."

He nodded, eyes locked on hers. For a moment, their eyes were only on each other. Elizabeth felt a tingling in her spine as his gaze lengthened, and she broke eye contact first. "Um, so I guess that's that," she said. "But I do think we need to figure out one thing tonight."

"What's that?" Nathan asked, his eyes still locked on her.

"The room situation," Elizabeth said a little shyly, embarrassed to even bring it up. "There are only three rooms in this house, and there are four of us."

"Right," Nathan said, realization dawning in his eyes. He looked at the settee. "I'm happy to sleep down here. This settee is much more comfortable than other places I've slept before."

"Nathan, you can't sleep on a settee for the rest of your life," Elizabeth said, practicality taking over. She thought through solutions, each one seeming impractical until she came to the last one. "What if…" She trailed off, wondering if it was a good idea.

Nathan waited patiently for her to finish thinking. Gathering up her courage, she started again. "My room is by far the largest one. What if we partitioned it to make two makeshift rooms? Then no one has to sleep on the settee."

Nathan looked hesitant. "You'd be comfortable doing that?" he asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "It would be like having two separate rooms. I don't think that would be a problem. It's the best solution."

"If you're sure," Nathan said slowly. "And if that wouldn't feel like an imposition on your privacy."

"It's fine, Nathan. I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't feel comfortable with it."

"Okay," he agreed. "I can easily make a partition for the room. I can put that up tomorrow." He smiled. "But for tonight, I am sleeping down here."

Elizabeth laughed lightly. "Of course." She yawned, suddenly realizing how tired she was. Nathan squeezed her hand gently, then let it go.

"It's been a long day. Why don't you go get some rest?" He stood when she did. She was surprised when he leaned forward and kissed her cheek the same way he had at their wedding. "Goodnight, Elizabeth."

"Goodnight, Nathan," she said as she started climbing the stairs. Part way up she turned to look back at him. He was still watching her. He raised a hand as if waving farewell, a slight smile on his lips. With a little smile back, she finished her trek up the stairs and into her room. After changing into her nightgown, she collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Nathan woke early, feeling rather cramped. The settee was a little too short for his tall stature. After his rounds this morning, he was going to work on getting some furniture over here. His bed, for starters.

He stood up and stretched. The house was quiet. It was still too early for anyone else to be awake, but Nathan was used to early mornings. He folded the blanket he'd used and placed it over the back of the settee. Walking to the pitcher and basin in the kitchen, he splashed some water on his face and dried it with a towel. Running a hand along his jaw, he realized he would need to bring his razor over too. He'd leave the overnight growth for today, but tomorrow it was back to clean-shaven.

Finished with his morning routine, Nathan looked around the kitchen. Now what? He didn't want to leave before saying good morning to Allie - and Elizabeth and Jack, he realized - but it could still be some time before they were up. He decided to make breakfast for his new family.

After familiarizing himself with the kitchen, he soon had a stack of pancakes and a plate of bacon on the table. He cracked some eggs into the pan he'd cooked the bacon in and began to stir. Within a few minutes, they were ready too. He placed a few towels over the food to keep it warm. A noise from upstairs caught his attention. It sounded like it was coming from Jack's room. He quietly climbed the stairs, opening the door.

Little Jack was standing in his crib, peering at Nathan over the railing. Nathan walked to the crib and picked him up. "Hey, buddy," he said. "How are you this morning?"

Solemn eyes looked back into his. "Mama?" Jack asked, looking a little confused.

"Your mama is still sleeping," Nathan told him. "Why don't I get you ready today?"

Jack blinked, then nodded. Nathan found some day clothes and got little Jack dressed. The boy was very cooperative, and in no time at all he was ready to go.

"I've got breakfast ready downstairs. Are you hungry?"

Jack nodded emphatically. Nathan smiled. "Alright, let's go." He carried Jack down the stairs and seated him in his highchair. He filled a plate with food and placed it in front of Jack. "Here you go," he said. Jack started eating the food with gusto.

He heard a noise on the stairs and turned. Elizabeth stood there with Allie, a robe wrapped loosely around her. She was wearing a sleepy smile watching Nathan interact with her son. "You made breakfast," she observed, coming into the kitchen. Allie gave Nathan a good morning hug and then sat down, serving herself some food.

"I did," Nathan said. "I hope that was alright."

Elizabeth smiled. "Of course it's alright. Thank you." He handed her a cup of coffee. She breathed in the smell and sighed. "Coffee is one of life's joys." Taking a sip, she sat down. "Thank you for the coffee as well."

"You're welcome," Nathan said as he sat next to Allie. As they were eating, Elizabeth noticed Jack's attire. "You got him dressed," she said, sounding surprised. Nathan nodded, chewing on some bacon. Elizabeth was watching him, an unreadable expression on her face. "Thank you, Nathan," she said again, seeming at loss for words. Nathan simply nodded.

Finished with his breakfast, he stood. "I need to get going on my rounds," he said. "My uniform is at the row house; I forgot to bring it with me, so I'll stop by there first and then go around the town. Is there anything you need before I go?"

Elizabeth still looked like she didn't know what to make of this morning. Nathan guessed she wasn't used to having help in the mornings before rushing to school. At least, he hoped that was the reason. If not, that meant she was flustered by his presence.

She shook her head in answer to his question. "I think we're all fine," she said. "I'm just going to get ready for school." She stood, and at that moment there was a knock on the door.

"Oh my," Elizabeth said, sounding flustered again. "Who could that be at this hour? Laura isn't supposed to be here for another twenty minutes."

"I'll get it," Nathan said without thinking. He opened the door, and there stood Florence. Her eyes widened exponentially at the sight of him, and she looked behind him to see Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack near the table. Her eyes trailed back to him, her brows shooting up her forehead. Instantly, Nathan realized what the situation looked like and what Florence must be thinking.

"Constable," Florence said, her tone civil but unapproving. "I didn't expect to see you here so early in the morning."

"This isn't what it looks like," Nathan began, at a loss for what to say next. Elizabeth came up behind him, her arms folded over her robe. Florence's mouth fell open. It seemed Nathan wasn't the only one at a loss for words.

"Why, I never…" she sputtered. "What is going on?"

"Come in, Florence," Elizabeth said gracefully. A shocked Florence followed her into the kitchen. Elizabeth motioned for her to sit. As she did, Allie smiled and said cheerfully, "Hi, Mrs. Blakely!"

"H...hi," Florence said. Allie scooted her chair back and headed for the stairs. "I'm going to get ready for school, Aunt Elizabeth," she said.

"Aunt Elizabeth?" Florence repeated. Her voice returned. "Elizabeth, what is going on?"

Elizabeth sat next to her, and Nathan took his place behind her chair for moral support. To say the situation was awkward would be an understatement.

"Nathan and I got married yesterday," Elizabeth said matter-of-factly.

"You...got married?" Florence looked between the two of them, looking for all the world like she couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"It's a long story," Elizabeth sighed. "It was mainly for Allie's sake. She was in danger of going back to her father, and we couldn't let that happen. For Nathan to keep her, he had to marry quickly. So we got married." She certainly gave the short version, for which Nathan was thankful. Florence, however, didn't seem satisfied with that answer.

"That's the only reason?" she asked, incredulous. "Elizabeth, you're telling me you married for the sake of convenience?" Her voice rose with each word.

"Yes," Elizabeth said calmly. Nathan admired how cool she was under pressure.

Florence sniffed in what seemed like disapproval. "Well, it seems like there could have been another way."

"There wasn't," Nathan said. "If there was, we would have taken that road."

"I suppose someone else will be teaching the children this week while you settle into your new...marriage?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I'm planning on teaching this week."

"Well," Florence said, rising in what appeared to be a cloud of confusion. "This is all so strange, I don't mind telling you."

"Trust me, it is for us too," Nathan said. Florence eyed him, making him feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. He wondered if she believed their story.

"Well, I should be going," Florence said, heading for the door. "Oh!" she said, hand on the handle. "I forgot. I came over to tell you that Laura can't watch Jack today. She's sick at home."

"Oh," Elizabeth said, looking slightly pale. "What am I going to do?"

"I can take your class today," Rosemary said, coming through the door Florence had opened. "Hi, Florence."

"Rosemary, did you know…"

"Yes. I was at the wedding," Rosemary said, taking Florence by the arm. She smiled brightly at Nathan and Elizabeth. "If you don't mind, I'll take Florence to Dottie's and then I'll head to the school. Elizabeth, you can take the day to watch little Jack and settle in a bit more to your new situation."

Elizabeth's face showed relief. "Thank you, Rosemary," she said. Rosemary nodded, then guided Florence out of the house.

Nathan watched, feeling like he'd missed something. "What just happened?" he asked, bewildered.

"Rosemary came to our rescue," Elizabeth said with a smile. "These walls are rather thin, and she could probably hear Florence and decided we needed a distraction."

"That was nice of her," Nathan said.

Elizabeth nodded. "Rosemary is one of a kind, and she is a fiercely loyal friend." She picked up little Jack, who had toddled over to her. "I guess I get to spend time with this little guy today. We can take a trip to the mercantile to get some supplies for dinner." She must have noticed how flustered Nathan felt, because she put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry about Florence," she said. "We told her the truth, and that's all that matters."

He smiled grimly. "You know this means that the whole town is going to know by this afternoon?"

She nodded. "I know. We'd better brace ourselves for lots of questions."

"And disapproval."

"True," Elizabeth agreed. She looked at him, maintaining eye contact the whole time. "We did the right thing, Nathan. No matter what anyone else thinks, we did the right thing."

"I know," he said heavily. "But I hate that your reputation may be on the line. Did you see Florence's face when I opened the door? She thought we..."

"Don't worry about me," Elizabeth interrupted. "We'll get through this. Together."

He looked at her for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. "Together."

* * *

Elizabeth walked through the mercantile, placing various items in her basket. Little Jack was playing with Fiona by the telephone. So far no one at the mercantile had approached her. She assumed they hadn't heard the news about her surprisingly sudden marriage. No doubt that would change before too long. If Florence knew, everyone would know soon. Nathan was right about that.

Nathan.

He'd been on her mind all day. Considering their circumstances, it didn't surprise her. What did surprise her was how caring and thoughtful he was. She'd known he was a good man, and she'd known he liked her, but she had no idea he could be so thoughtful. She supposed the fact that he'd made her a plaque with a quote from her favorite author should have given her an idea. That was such a thoughtful gift. But she'd never expected that on their first morning as a makeshift family he would have taken care of her son and made sure there was food on the table when everyone woke up. That was never part of the agreement. But he did it anyways.

There was a lot more to Nathan Grant than she thought, and if she was honest with herself, she was looking forward to getting to know him better. If nothing else, she knew they would become good friends. Friends who happened to share their lives together.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Lucas standing right in front of her until she almost ran into him. "Oh!" she cried, coming to a halt. "Lucas, I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's alright," he said, charming as ever. "No harm, no foul."

Elizabeth smiled, then headed for the counter. "Well, I need to get these items…"

"Wait, Elizabeth," Lucas said. "I want to ask you something."

She turned to face him. "Yes?"

As he was about to speak, the door opened and Nathan walked in. She hadn't seen him since he left for his rounds. He was dressed in his uniform, and his gaze landed on Elizabeth. His eyes lit up when he saw her, then darkened when he noticed Lucas standing in front of her.

Lucas ignored him and said, "I was wondering if maybe we could have that dinner we talked about. This evening." As he said it he looked sidelong at Nathan. Elizabeth got the impression that he was sending a message. She also got the impression that Nathan didn't like that one bit. He came right up to them, standing with arms crossed next to Elizabeth, staring Lucas down. Lucas looked a bit surprised at Nathan's uncharacteristic boldness with regards to Elizabeth. Elizabeth felt a little surprised herself. Nathan usually walked away when he saw the two of them talking together. But then again, circumstances had changed. Lucas didn't know they were married.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Lucas," Elizabeth said, trying to turn him down gently. The looks between the two men were starting to make her feel uncomfortable. She didn't know exactly why they didn't like each other, but she had a feeling it had something to do with her. If looks could kill, they would both be six feet under right now.

"Why not?" Lucas asked, his eyes challenging not her but Nathan. Elizabeth sighed inwardly, but Nathan reacted before she could.

He put a hand on her back, his eyes shooting darts at Lucas. "Because she's married to me," he said, steel in his voice.

Lucas blinked, shock covering his face. Ned Yost swiveled around from the counter, staring at them. Fiona came out of the telephone room holding Jack, mouth hanging open. The few other people in the store froze where they were, all staring at Elizabeth and Nathan.

_And now they know_, Elizabeth thought. Part of her was relieved and part of her began bracing for the storm of reactions they would be facing for the foreseeable future. Starting with Lucas.

"You're joking," he said, looking between the two of them in disbelief. "Elizabeth, you're telling me you up and married someone suddenly, without anyone knowing?" She noticed he didn't say Nathan's name.

"Well, a few people knew," she said. "But yes. That's what happened."

"_Why_?" Lucas asked, looking more flustered than Elizabeth could ever remember seeing him. Even when they'd been held up in the saloon at gunpoint he'd been more composed than this. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she might have found his current expression comical.

"It's a long story," Elizabeth said, glancing around the mercantile.

"It was for Allie," Nathan said. "Elizabeth offered to marry me so that Allie could stay with us in Hope Valley. That's the short version."

"And the long version?" Lucas asked, his composure gradually returning.

"That's private," was all Nathan would say. Lucas looked at Elizabeth, but she simply nodded in affirmation of Nathan's response.

Ned broke the tension. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order," he said. "Your groceries are on the house."

"Oh, no Ned!" Elizabeth protested. "That's kind of you, but…"

"No buts," he responded. "It's my little way of helping you two and the kids settle in."

"Thanks, Ned," Nathan said. He walked up to the counter. "Do you have any letters for me today?"

"Yes, just a moment." Ned pulled a couple of official letters from Nathan's box. "Looks like some usual mail from Mountie offices."

"Thanks." Nathan turned to Elizabeth. "I have to get back to the office, but I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"Okay," Elizabeth responded as Ned packaged up her groceries.

Fiona brought Jack over and handed him to Elizabeth. "Congratulations," she said with a soft smile, putting a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "I know there's probably a lot to this story, but I get the feeling you did something very sacrificial for Nathan and Allie. If you need anything, please let me know."

"Thanks, Fiona," Elizabeth said with a smile. "I appreciate that."

Fiona nodded and walked back to her station. Lucas was still standing there, and he followed Elizabeth out of the mercantile. "Do you realize what you've done?" he asked as she walked down the stairs, looking concerned. "How could you marry a man you barely know, even if it is for the sake of a child?"

She looked up at him, recognizing the hurt under the anger and concern. "Lucas, I do know what I've done. I didn't go into this blindly. I gave it a lot of thought and prayer. It felt like the right thing to do."

"How could any man of integrity ask a woman to marry him for convenience? Nathan shouldn't have…"

Elizabeth cut him off. "It wasn't Nathan's idea," she said firmly. "He even tried to talk me out of it. I offered. This was my choice, and I don't regret it."

Lucas shook his head. "You're going to regret it eventually," he said. "A woman like you tied to a man you don't love? That's not fair to you."

"I like Nathan, Lucas. I may not love him, but I respect and admire him. I think we are going to be just fine. But thank you for your concern." She took a few steps down the street, then stopped and looked back, adjusting Jack on her hip. "Nathan is a good man, Lucas. I know the two of you don't get along, but I wish you would at least try."

Lucas gave a short laugh. "Not likely, but I'll take that under advisement."

"Good." Elizabeth smiled. "Who knows, maybe one day we'll all look back on this moment and laugh at how silly it was that we couldn't get along."

Now Lucas gave a real laugh. "Keep dreaming, Elizabeth. Keep dreaming."


	5. Chapter 5

"Prepare yourself for a lot of questions at school tomorrow," Rosemary warned Elizabeth that evening. "Allie was telling everyone that you're her aunt now, and that naturally means the children are aware of your marriage to Nathan. And they're very, very curious."

"Them and the rest of the town," Elizabeth said. "Nathan was right. Florence sure spread word quickly. I was stopped several times today on my way home from the mercantile. It took me two hours to get home, and it usually takes ten minutes."

There was a knock on the door. "And I'm sure that's another one," Elizabeth said, suppressing a sigh.

"Would you like me to get that?" Rosemary asked. Elizabeth nodded. Rosemary opened the door, ready to shoo away whoever it was. "Oh, hello Clara, Faith. Come on in."

The two women walked in, each holding a basket. "Hello, Elizabeth," Clara said, walking over and giving her a hug. She held out her basket. "Faith and I thought we'd bring a few things over so that you don't have to worry about cooking for a few days. This has to be quite a transition for you."

Elizabeth's eyes welled with tears at their thoughtfulness. She saw no judgement in their eyes, just understanding and love. She accepted Faith's hug, then took the baskets they offered and set them on the table. "Thank you so much," she said, smiling through her tears. "I appreciate your support."

"Of course we support you!" Faith said. "We love you very much, Elizabeth. Whatever the reason for your new marriage, we know you have a good reason for it."

"Please, sit," Elizabeth said, motioning to the living room. "I'll tell you the story."

The four women settled in, and Elizabeth launched into a full explanation. By the time she had finished, both Clara and Faith were wiping tears from their eyes.

"Poor Allie!" Clara whispered, a hand over her heart.

Faith shook her head. "Elizabeth, what you've done for her goes above and beyond anything I've ever seen. A lot of people have a heart for children, but yours is the most special. I can't imagine marrying someone under these circumstances." She smiled. "At least you like Nathan. That probably helps make it bearable."

"It does," Elizabeth said.

Clara smiled. "He likes you a lot, too. It's evident he cares for you a great deal."

_What? _That was news to her. She couldn't figure out how he felt. How could Clara know that?

"Why do you say that?" she asked, curious to know the answer.

Rosemary, Clara, and Faith exchanged looks. "It's kind of obvious," Faith said. "He can't string two coherent words together around you, and he looks like a lost puppy dog when he sees you with Lucas. We've all seen it." Rosemary and Clara nodded their agreement. "He's been battling jealousy where Lucas is concerned ever since their vying for your attention began."

She knew the two men didn't like each other, but how much was really because of her? Maybe they were just two people who were so different they couldn't get along.

"Well," Elizabeth said, clearing her throat, "they can stop vying now because there's nothing to vy over. I'm married to Nathan for better or worse, and nothing's going to change that. I'm sure his feelings are doing just fine."

"How would you feel if you were married to a man you loved who you didn't think loved you back?" Clara asked. "That would be hard."

"Nathan's not in love with me!" Elizabeth protested. "I don't know what he feels for me, but I'm pretty sure love isn't it."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Clara said wisely. "We've all seen how he looks at you when you're not looking. If the man isn't fully there yet, he will be soon." She stood, not realizing what a bombshell she'd dropped on Elizabeth. "We've got to be going. We just wanted to give you the baskets before meeting Jesse and Carson for dinner."

Faith chuckled. "It's going to take them some time to get used to the idea of you being married. They were both shocked speechless."

"I don't blame them," Elizabeth said, still reeling over Clara's comments about Nathan. She hugged each of them again. "Thanks for coming, and for the baskets."

They said their goodbyes, then Faith and Clara left. Elizabeth closed the door and leaned against it, staring into space for a moment. Rosemary broke into her thoughts. "What are you thinking?"

"About what Clara said. Do you think Nathan is in love with me?"

Rosemary hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I agree with Clara. If he's not yet, he will be soon."

Elizabeth's mind was reeling. Nathan was reserved and terrible at sharing his feelings, so it was possible there was something there she didn't see. Was he really falling for her? She wasn't sure how she felt about that. She felt butterflies in her stomach and her heart was pounding. What did that mean?

She didn't have time to think about it too deeply. The door opened and Nathan came in with Allie and little Jack. They had gone for a walk to give Elizabeth and Rosemary some time together to talk. Elizabeth's heart jumped at the sight of Nathan standing there with the children. He looked so relaxed, so natural with them. It was only with her that he seemed awkward and bumbling.

Was it true? Was he in love with her? Was he afraid of revealing his heart because he thought it would be rejected? Was that why he didn't like Lucas, because he thought him a rival for Elizabeth's love?

The questions swirled through her mind, making her unable to focus on anything in particular. Little Jack unwittingly rescued her when he toddled over and held up his arms with an excited exclamation of "Mama!" She picked him up, pressing her cheek to his. "Hello, baby. Did you have a good walk?"

"Ya!" he said, wiggling to get down. He walked over to Nathan and held up his arms. "Up!"

Nathan picked him up, holding him securely in his arms. "We did have a nice walk. Do you want to tell your mama what you saw in the woods?"

"Deer!" Jack proclaimed with delight.

Rosemary chuckled. "I don't know a child who gets more excited than Jack at the sight of deer," she said, walking over to pat Jack on the back. She smiled at Elizabeth, then at Nathan. "I'll let you all get to your dinner. Have a nice evening."

"Thanks, Rosemary."

Alone with her new family, Elizabeth headed for the stove. "Clara and Faith brought some food over for us. I'll heat some of it up and we can have dinner."

Allie came over. "Can I help?" she asked.

"Of course! Why don't you pick what you'd like from the baskets, and we'll get it ready together."

They started getting things ready, and for a moment that was all that was on Elizabeth's mind. Then she heard her son giggle, and she looked over to the living room.

Nathan was on the floor with her son, helping him to build with some wooden blocks. He was making silly faces at Jack as they built, which elicited delighted laughs from the small child. Her heart fluttered as she watched Nathan play with Jack, then her mind registered that she found his love for her son very attractive. No one could deny that there was a soft spot in Nathan Grant's heart for little Jack. Or Allie, for that matter. Nathan was good with children. That was undeniable, and Elizabeth found that endearing. She watched them for a few moments, not realizing that she was staring. Nathan turned his head toward the kitchen, and his eyes met hers. She blushed, knowing she'd been caught staring, and quickly turned to continue getting dinner ready. She didn't see the unsure look on Nathan's face, the wondering look at why she'd turned away so quickly. She didn't see the hurt expression that crossed his face before he turned back to playing with Jack. She had turned her attention to Allie, who was chatting about the day and how all her classmates were completely surprised to know that their teacher was now Allie's aunt.

After dinner, Elizabeth trudged up the stairs to put little Jack to bed. She read him a story, then kissed him and put him in his crib. "Goodnight, my sweet boy," she said softly. "Sweet dreams." She went to her room to get an extra blanket for Allie's room, a request from the girl earlier that day, and stopped in her tracks.

Her room was now sectioned into two parts, a white sheet partitioning the room. Nathan's side was sparsely furnished with a bed, dresser, and nightstand. Elizabeth stood for a moment, trying to get used to the idea of her room being Nathan's as well. With a shake of her head, she reminded herself that this was the best arrangement and that it would be fine. Taking a blanket from the chest at the end of her bed, she took it to Allie's room, trying to ignore the strange feelings rolling in her stomach. She could hear Allie and Nathan talking downstairs, and she headed down to say goodnight.

"Already?" Nathan asked, looking in surprise at the clock. "It's not even eight."

"I know, but I want to write some in my journal, and that always takes a while," Elizabeth said. "I thought I'd say goodnight in case I don't see either of you before I fall asleep."

Allie got up and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth. "Goodnight, Aunt Elizabeth." She grinned. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of calling you that."

Elizabeth smiled, placing a hand on Allie's cheek. "And I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing it." She glanced at Nathan, who had come to stand next to Allie.

"Neither will I," he said with a vulnerable smile. He leaned down to kiss Elizabeth's cheek, much like he'd done the previous night. This time, though, the touch of his lips sent her heart to fluttering. Flustered, she stepped back. "Goodnight," she said, quickly turning and climbing the stairs. Once again, she didn't see the confused and hurt look on Nathan's face, which he quickly masked. Her only goal was to get to the safety of her room where she could think and write. Pulling her journal from her nightstand, she started to write, trying to process the confused, conflicting emotions she was feeling.

She lost track of time as she wrote. Soon she became aware of a presence in the door. She looked to see Nathan standing there, looking unsure. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked, motioning to his side of the room. "I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's fine, Nathan, really," Elizabeth said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Nathan still looked uncertain, and he shuffled from foot to foot, clearly with something else on his mind. "What?" Elizabeth asked, knowing he wouldn't say whatever was on his mind if she didn't ask.

He bit his lip, considering what to say, then came out with it. "Did that kiss make you feel uncomfortable?" he asked, trying to hide the vulnerability in his eyes and failing. "I won't do it again if it does."

So he had noticed her reaction, though he had read it wrong. Did she want to admit that?

"That's fine, too, Nathan," she said softly. "I don't mind."

He studied her for a moment, verifying the truth of her words. After a moment, he nodded slightly. "Okay." He disappeared behind the partition. Elizabeth could hear him getting ready for bed, and she found herself too distracted by his near presence to continue writing. Flushing and thankful he couldn't see her, she put her journal away and blew out the candle next to her bed. She burrowed under the covers, trying not to think. She could hear Nathan doing the same, and then his voice came from the other side of the room. "Goodnight, Elizabeth. Sweet dreams."

She smiled. "Goodnight, Nathan." The light from his side went out, and soon she could hear his deep, even breathing. The sound was somehow comforting and soothed her rushing thoughts. Soon after, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

After a week had passed, much of the surprise at Nathan and Elizabeth's wedding had died down. The townspeople seemed to accept the reality, and questions became fewer and farther between. Nathan was thankful. He knew all the curiosity and scrutiny had been hard on Elizabeth, especially from her students, and for her sake he was glad everything was calming down.

They were settling into a routine as a family, makeshift though it was. In the mornings, Nathan made breakfast and got little Jack ready for the day. He would never leave before saying goodbye to Allie, Elizabeth, and Jack. After school Elizabeth would help Allie with homework and play with little Jack. When Nathan came home, he would spend some time with the children, either taking them for a walk or playing with them in the house while Elizabeth made dinner. Allie would help with setting the table and anything else Elizabeth needed help with. After dinner they would spend some time all together, and then one of them would put the kids to bed. Then Elizabeth would finish schoolwork or read or write, and Nathan would either read as well or work on some woodworking project. They would go to bed around the same time, and always Nathan would kiss her cheek and tell her goodnight when her light went out. It wasn't a special routine by a long shot, but it was theirs and he was starting to feel more settled in this new life.

What he wasn't feeling settled about were his strong feelings for Elizabeth. Each day that passed saw him falling a little more for her. She made it easy. Her kindness, love, and sweetness were rare indeed, as was her way with the children. He'd known she was a wonderful mother to little Jack, but the way she had immediately taken Allie in as her own had impressed him. Elizabeth owned a large piece of his heart, and he did his best to love her each day without letting her know how he felt.

He couldn't let her know. He couldn't risk that heartache. Their life was what it was, and he was content with that. How could he ask for more when Elizabeth had already given up so much?

"The kids are asleep," Elizabeth said, breaking into his thoughts. She sat across from him and picked up a book. She smiled slightly, placing a hand over her mouth to hide it. Before Nathan could ask, she said, "Got a lot on your mind?"

Nathan's heart raced. Yes, but he wasn't ready to disclose that. "Why do you ask?" he said instead.

Elizabeth smirked. "Your book is upside down."

Nathan glanced down. Sure enough, the book in his hands was facing the wrong way. With an internal groan, he turned it around and smiled wryly. "Is this better?" he asked.

"Mmhmm," Elizabeth said, continuing to suppress a grin. Suddenly, she became serious. "Is there something on your mind, Nathan?"

His heart raced. How to answer that? He decided to tell the truth. "Yes, but I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

Disappointment registered on her face, and he felt bad that he had put it there. But what else could he do? He could hardly tell her the whole truth. She wasn't ready for that, and to be honest, neither was he.

"Okay," she said, opening her book. Nathan opened his mouth, desperate for anything to say, but the words wouldn't come. Frustrated with himself and his lack of speaking abilities, he turned to his book too. But the words wouldn't make sense. He couldn't focus. With a quiet sigh, too quiet for Elizabeth to hear, he put the book down and stood. Elizabeth looked up at him in surprise.

"I'm pretty tired. It was a long day," he said by way of explanation. He leaned down, kissing her cheek as was his custom, trying to ignore how the feel of her soft skin against his lips wreaked havoc on his heart. "Goodnight, Elizabeth."

"Goodnight," she said, her eyes following him as he went up the stairs. He lay in his bed for a long time before being able to fall asleep. His mind wouldn't turn off. When he did finally fall asleep, it was fitful and full of dreams.

He was jolted awake in the middle of the night by a cry from across the room. Instantly in full protection mode, he swept aside the curtain dividing the room and saw that Elizabeth was thrashing around, crying out, tears streaking her face. His heart dropped and he sat on the side of her bed, shaking her shoulders. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth, wake up!"

"No," she moaned, eyes still closed. "Don't leave me, Jack. Don't leave!"

He felt sucker-punched as he realized she was dreaming about her late husband. Pressing down the emotions that raised, he shook her again gently. "Elizabeth!"

She jolted upright. In the moonlight Nathan could see that her eyes were unfocused and confused and terrified. She looked at him and squinted, unable to see him with the moon shining behind him. "Jack?" she whispered tremulously, putting a hand on his face. "You're alive!" she breathed. Before Nathan could explain otherwise, she leaned forward and kissed him with a passion that took his breath away, her arms finding their way around him and holding on tight. All rational thought left him. Against his better judgement, he found himself responding to her kiss with equal passion, his long hidden feelings finding an outlet.

His heart hammered wildly inside him as their kiss lengthened, his senses focused solely on Elizabeth. Something nagged at the back of his mind, though, which his muddled thoughts couldn't quite figure out. Then like a bolt of lightning it hit him. It wasn't him she was kissing. She thought he was Jack.

Nathan stiffened and pulled back. Every fiber of his being screamed at him for doing so, but he knew it was the right thing to do. She was going to be horrified when she realized what had just happened.

"Jack?" she said, a question in her voice. "What's wrong?"

Nathan felt sick. His emotions had gone from bliss to horror in the span of a few seconds, and now he wondered how on earth he was going to spare her feelings in this.

"Nothing's wrong," he said, a tremor in his voice. "Everything's fine. Go back to sleep, Elizabeth. I'll stay with you until you're sleeping."

"Okay," she said, a small smile on her lips. Nathan held her hand in his, waiting to hear her breathing even out again. He prayed that she would have a dreamless sleep this time. Within minutes, she was sleeping. He gently placed her hand under the covers and returned to his side of the room.

He stared at the ceiling for hours. Now that he'd had time to think about what happened, one thing was certain. This wasn't something he was going to be able to forget. The memory of that kiss was going to haunt him.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: I meant to get this out sooner, but this chapter was harder to write than I expected. I must have written and rewritten it several times! The kiss in the last chapter wasn't planned- it kind of just happened, so now I'm trying to figure out where to go with this. Thanks for bearing with me :)_

Elizabeth woke the next morning with a smile on her face. She reached out to the place where Jack should be, but her fingers encountered empty space. Confused, she sat up, looking around.

Why in the world was there a curtain in the middle of the room?

It all came back to her in a rush. Jack was gone. She was married to Nathan now. With a sigh, she fell back against her pillow.

It had all been a dream. She'd dreamt of losing Jack again, watched him ride away for the last time, begging him not to go because she knew he wouldn't come back. Then she'd jerked awake to find him there, silhouetted in the moonlight, her joy and relief to see him sitting in front of her overwhelming. She'd kissed him with all the love and longing in her heart, and he'd responded just as passionately. It had been wonderful…

She frowned, the thought trailing off. Something didn't make sense. She knew she'd been dreaming about Jack leaving, but she was certain she was awake when they kissed. It was too real to be otherwise. She could still feel his kiss on her lips, his arms around her holding her close. Then he'd held her hand until she fell asleep; she could feel the warmth of his hand, she remembered drifting off again into a dreamless sleep. She hadn't been dreaming then.

But that wasn't possible. Jack was gone. There was no way that could have actually happened. She must have been dreaming, but if she was it was more realistic than anything she'd dreamed before.

Something else was bothering her too. As wonderful as the kiss and embrace had been, something had felt different. She knew Jack's kiss. She knew what it felt like to be held by him. This hadn't been the same. It was a different kind of wonderful. Elizabeth thought hard, but she couldn't fit the pieces together. Giving up for the moment, she slipped into her robe and tied it securely, then padded down the stairs.

As usual, Nathan had finished cooking breakfast, but this time Allie and Jack were nowhere in sight. He turned when he heard her enter the kitchen. She was surprised to see a reserved look on his face as he said good morning. She was also surprised to see that he was already dressed in his uniform for the day. Normally he didn't put that on until after breakfast.

"Good morning, Nathan. Did you sleep well?"

His face tightened before smoothing out again. "Not really." He didn't elaborate.

"Too many thoughts?" she asked, taking a sip of the coffee he handed her.

"Something like that," he said, his voice clipped. Elizabeth frowned, watching him. He was studiously avoiding her eyes. What was wrong with him?

"Nathan, are you alright?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Fine," he said. He motioned toward the stairs. "I should go get the kids. They weren't up, so I let them sleep a little longer than normal." With that, he hiked up the stairs much faster than she'd ever seen him climb them before.

Her brow furrowed. He was acting so strangely. She wondered if she'd said or done anything that would have upset him, but nothing came to mind. Confused, she set about filling four plates with the food Nathan had made. Within a few minutes, he came back downstairs, little Jack in his arms and Allie following behind them.

"Good morning, Aunt Elizabeth!" Allie exclaimed, giving Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek. Little Jack held his arms out to her, giggling. "Mama!"

"Good morning, Allie and Jack," Elizabeth said with a smile, taking Jack from Nathan. She noticed Nathan was careful not to touch her. She sighed inwardly. At least the children were acting like themselves.

Nathan didn't sit when the rest of them did. He stood there, hat in hand, and said, "I'm going to get an early start today on my rounds."

Elizabeth looked at him, startled. "What? But you never leave this early."

His mouth tightened into a line. "I know, but today is different." He offered no other explanation. He kissed Allie and Jack on the head, then nodded to Elizabeth. "See you this evening." With that, he walked out the door.

"Uncle Nathan is acting weird," Allie announced, taking a bite of her pancakes.

Elizabeth stood. "He sure is. Allie, can you watch Jack for a minute?'

Allie nodded. Elizabeth went to the door and opened it, coming onto the porch. Folding her arms across her chest, she called, "Nathan!"

For a brief moment, she thought he would ignore her. But he slowly turned and walked back, ascending a few of the porch steps until he was eye level with Elizabeth. There was a look of concern on his face. "Is something wrong?"

Elizabeth studied him, noticing a flash of vulnerability under his reserved mask. "I don't know, Nathan. Is something wrong?" she asked, turning the question on him. "Allie just said you're acting weird, and I'm inclined to agree with her."

Something flashed across Nathan's face before he could hide it. "I'm fine, Elizabeth," he said quietly. "It was just a long night."

Elizabeth didn't believe him. "That's all?"

He shuffled his feet, refusing to look at her. "Can we talk about this later?" he asked. "We both had a rough night, so maybe it would be best to revisit this after work."

Why did he think that? "Who says I had a rough night?" she asked, puzzled at his words.

A guilty look momentarily appeared on his face, as though he had a secret he wasn't sharing. "Um...I...you...uh…" He coughed, looking down at the ground. It took him several moments to answer. "You were crying in your sleep. I figured you were having bad dreams."

"Crying?" She didn't know that was possible.

He nodded. "You were calling out Jack's name."

So he knew she'd been dreaming of Jack. She felt a small pang in her side at his expression. Maybe that's why he was acting so strangely. He thought she was pining for her first love. Though why he should be acting this way still didn't make sense. It wasn't like there was a romantic understanding between the two of them, married or no.

She brought herself back to the moment at hand. "I see," she said. "It wasn't all bad, though."

Nathan's face became even more reserved at her comment. He nodded stiffly. "I'm glad to see you're better this morning." He stepped down to the bottom stair, tipping his hat to her. "I'll see you later, Elizabeth." With that, he was gone.

He was glad to see her better this morning? Did that mean he'd seen her when she was upset last night? Why didn't he wake her when she…?

Elizabeth's eyes widened, a hand floating to her heart. Someone had awakened her. She suddenly remembered feeling hands shaking her gently by the shoulders, hearing a voice telling her to wake up.

Nathan's voice. And if Nathan was the one who had been there when she woke up, that meant…

Her hands went to her face, her cheeks flaming red. No wonder he was acting the way he was. She had kissed him, thinking him to be Jack. And not just any kiss. A kiss of passion, of love, of longing. Horrified, she gripped the porch railing, trying to steady herself.

How was she going to face him again?

* * *

Nathan walked to the Mountie office, kicking himself the whole way. He'd said too much. Elizabeth was going to put the pieces together, and then where would they be? Their interactions were already a bit awkward; this was going to make it ten times worse. He knew he wasn't himself this morning. Try as he might, he was terrible at hiding his emotions. Elizabeth instantly knew something was wrong. Even Allie could tell he was acting weird, as she had put it.

Hanging his hat on a hook with more force than necessary, Nathan let out a long breath. He needed to focus. A mountain of papers on his desk needed attending. For the next couple of hours, he threw himself into his work, hoping to distract himself from the memory of Elizabeth's kiss and the fallout that he knew was coming. It provided some distraction, but he found himself staring at the wall far too often, lost in his thoughts.

Bill found him like that around noon. Nathan didn't even hear the door open. One minute he was alone, and then next Bill was standing in front of him.

"Nathan!" Bill said for the second time, snapping his fingers.

Nathan blinked, startled. "Bill! I...didn't hear you come in."

"Clearly," Bill said dryly. "Obviously there's something on your mind. Care to share?"

"Not really," Nathan said honestly. Bill was close to Elizabeth, had been close to Jack when he was alive. Nathan almost felt like an intruder in their relationship, regardless of the fact that he was doing nothing wrong. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss what had happened last night with Bill.

Bill pulled a chair up to the desk, not one to be easily dissuaded. "You might as well start talking," he said. "Being a judge has taught me to ask all the right questions and to wait on answers. One way or another, I'll get it out of you. So just make it easy on both of us and tell me what's on your mind."

Nathan sighed, tapping his pen against the desk. It was several minutes before he answered, but Bill made no signs of giving up. Finally, Nathan came out with it. "Elizabeth kissed me last night."

Bill's eyebrows shot up his forehead. He clearly hadn't been expecting that. "I see." He cleared his throat. "And what brought that on?"

Nathan's heart tightened in his chest. "She was dreaming. About Jack." He stood and started to pace the small office space. "I heard her crying, so I tried to wake her up. She was calling out to Jack. When I got her awake, she thought I was Jack come back from the grave, and she kissed me. Or more accurately, she kissed him."

"I see," Bill said again. He pinned Nathan with a pointed look. "And how do you feel about that?"

Nathan stared at Bill helplessly, trying to figure out how much to reveal. "I was elated at first," he admitted, deciding the truth was the best. It seemed easier to talk to Bill than it was to talk to Elizabeth. For some reason, Nathan trusted Bill to keep this quiet. "I had feelings for Elizabeth before we married, and they've only grown since. So for a brief moment, I thought maybe her feelings for me were growing too. And then I remembered that she called me Jack, and I felt sick. Almost like I was betraying her by letting the kiss go on when she thought it was him instead of me. So I pulled away."

Bill's eyes were going back and forth, following Nathan as he continued to pace. "And she doesn't know this?"

"I don't know!" Nathan raked his hands through his hair in frustration. "I don't think so, but I mentioned her dream this morning and she looked confused, like she wondered how I knew about that. My guess is it's only a matter of time until she figures it out. And then where will we be?"

Bill stood, his voice stern. "Nathan, you can't borrow trouble for tomorrow. You don't know what will happen. Everything is conjecture at this point."

Nathan rubbed his forehead, feeling a slight headache starting. "You're right." He sighed again, sinking into his chair and putting his head in his hands. "I've made a mess of things."

Bill put a hand on his shoulder. "It's only a mess if you decide it's a mess. Just talk to Elizabeth, Nathan. Open communication is important in a marriage."

"That could make it worse," Nathan muttered. "If I tell her how I feel about her, and she doesn't feel the same way, where will that leave us?"

Bill shrugged. "Maybe in the same place you are now, or maybe you could find that she's starting to feel the same way. Whatever the case may be, at least you'd be honest with her. That is what's important. Elizabeth values honesty and integrity. If you don't give her that, she'll lose trust in you."

That hard truth went right to Nathan's heart, piercing it like so many arrows. Bill was right. Elizabeth had been upset with him for not telling her about his promotion at Christmas, and their relationship then was much less complicated than it was now. How would she feel if he continued to hide the truth from her and act like he had this morning?

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Thanks, Bill. I'm glad you were straightforward with me."

Bill grunted. "Seems to be the only way to get through to you."

Half a smile crossed Nathan's face. "True." He nodded. "I'll talk to Elizabeth tonight."

* * *

"I kissed him, Rosemary."

Rosemary blinked, speechless for a full thirty seconds. The wooden spoon she'd been stirring cake batter with froze and she simply stared at her friend.

Elizabeth squirmed slightly under her gaze, ruffled by Rosemary's lack of words. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Uh…" Rosemary put the bowl down, grasping Elizabeth's hands and leading her to the settee, where they both sat. "Okay, do you mind repeating what you said a moment ago? I'm not sure I heard you right."

Elizabeth blushed. "You heard me right. I kissed Nathan. But I didn't realize it was Nathan at the time."

"I sense a story here. Why don't you start at the beginning?" Rosemary's face was a study in utter fascination, Elizabeth thought wryly. But she decided to tell the full story.

"Last night I dreamt about Jack."

Rosemary squeezed her hand in sympathy. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. Does that happen often?"

"Not so much anymore," Elizabeth admitted. "This was the first time in a while. I dreamt that he was leaving, and I couldn't do anything to stop him. I was begging him not to go, because I knew he wouldn't come back." She sighed. "Apparently I was crying in my sleep."

Rosemary frowned. "How do you know that?"

"Nathan told me this morning."

"I see. Go on," Rosemary prompted.

"I woke up suddenly, and thought I saw Jack sitting in front of me. His face was hidden in the moonlight shining through the window, but I just knew it was him. I was so happy to see that he was back that I kissed him. But of course, it wasn't Jack. It was Nathan. He'd woken me up because I was crying and calling out for Jack."

"Oh my," Rosemary said, a hand on her heart. She looked intently at Elizabeth. "How do you feel about all this?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth whispered. "I have so many conflicting emotions right now."

'And those emotions are…?"

"I was utterly horrified this morning when I realized what had happened. But I won't lie, the kiss was amazing," Elizabeth said, her cheeks red. "Naturally, I thought it was Jack, but even now knowing it was Nathan, my heart jumps at the memory. But then that makes me feel like I'm betraying Jack somehow." She looked down. "And this morning, Nathan was acting so strangely. Obviously he knows what happened, and he thought I didn't remember. Which I didn't at the time. What must he think of me?"

"Did he kiss you back?"

Her blush deepened. "Yes. He most definitely did."

Rosemary smiled. "Elizabeth, circumstances notwithstanding, you're married to Nathan. Jack wanted you to find love and happiness again, and I think you can find both of those with Nathan. I'm pretty sure he's falling for you. Would it be so hard to let yourself fall for him?"

Elizabeth shook her head, already knowing the answer to that. "No, it wouldn't be hard." The thought made her heart lighter. But then she frowned. "But Rosemary, he's so afraid to share his emotions. I need him to be open with me. How do I even begin to encourage him in that?"

Rosemary smiled. "Just love him where he's at, Elizabeth. That's all you can do."

Elizabeth paused, thinking over Rosemary's words. "That's very wise."

Rosemary laughed. "Of course it is! Who do you think you're talking to?"

Laughing, Elizabeth swatted Rosemary's shoulder before becoming serious again. "This all feels so strange, Rosie. Jack and I were courting for so long before he asked me to marry him. That's how it usually is. Now I find myself with a man I could fall in love with, and we're already married but have to figure out how to live that out together. We have to figure out how to truly love each other. It feels so backwards."

"That's because it is," Rosemary acknowledged. "Your situation is not a normal one. You have to navigate married life together and explore your growing feelings. And you have two children in the mix." She shook her head. "But I think we all know that you had some feelings for Nathan before you married him. It was obvious, especially at Christmas. And it was obvious that he had feelings for you, too." She shrugged. "The feelings are clearly there for both of you. Nurture them and let them eventually turn into love."

"As if love is a choice," Elizabeth said dryly.

Rosemary pinned her with a sage look. "I know it's not a popular theory, but love is a choice. Attraction might not be, but you do choose to love someone every single day with your words and actions, hard though it may be." She smiled. "Why, sometimes I have to choose to love Lee, especially when he's getting on my nerves!"

Elizabeth laughed outright. "That is a good point, Rosemary. I'll keep that in mind."

Rosemary nodded as if everything was settled. "Good. Now, I think you and Nathan need to have a talk tonight to clear the air and get rid of the awkwardness that has bloomed from all these unspoken feelings between you two."

Elizabeth nodded, though her stomach clenched at the thought. That kind of vulnerability was scary. But she knew it had to be done. After the kids were put to bed, she would have a talk with Nathan.


	7. Chapter 7

Elizabeth tucked little Jack into bed, kissing his head softly as his eyes closed. "Goodnight, my sweet boy," she said with a smile. She tiptoed out of the room and shut the door behind her. Bracing herself for a moment, she could hear Nathan tucking Allie in. She padded down the stairs and set about making two cups of tea, waiting for him to join her. He'd come home from work and sought her out. He had taken her by the arm and pulled her to one side, away from Allie's curious ears. "Can we talk after the kids are in bed?" he'd asked. She had simply nodded in the affirmative.

Now she felt curls of anxiety running through her gut. She knew this talk would be good. They both needed it. But it could also change things, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for change. She took a breath, hoping it would steady her nerves. Taking the tea mugs to the small table in the living room, she set them down, then curled up on the settee, hugging a pillow to her stomach. As she did, she heard Nathan's sturdy footsteps coming down the stairs. Coming into her line of view, he sat across from her on the settee, positioning his body so that they could be face-to-face.

They looked at each other for a few moments, neither quite sure where to begin. Elizabeth was surprised when Nathan broke the silence first. He looked incredibly nervous, but he swallowed his trepidation and asked, "Elizabeth, what do you remember about last night?"

She decided full honesty would be best. "I remember dreaming about Jack. I remember waking up to someone sitting next to me who I assumed to be Jack, and then I kissed him. He stayed with me holding my hand until I fell asleep. That's what I thought this morning when I woke up." She eyed him, hugging the pillow a little more tightly. "Then I thought more about it this morning after our conversation. I remembered hearing your voice wake me up, which meant you were the one sitting there when I…" She trailed off, feeling suddenly self-conscious saying the words out loud to him. "I kissed you," she said in a voice barely over a whisper.

Nathan nodded, his eyes staring into hers. "You did. And I want to apologize for letting you."

She blinked. "You weren't exactly prepared for what I did. It must have been a surprise."

He smiled a little, breaking through the tension. "Surprise would be putting it mildly." His smile faded, and he looked at her seriously. "But I shouldn't have let it continue on, Elizabeth. I'm sorry."

Another memory hit her. She stared at him. "You pulled away," she said. "I remember wondering why Jack pulled away so fast, but that was you." She wasn't sure how she felt about that particular detail.

He grimaced slightly. "As soon as I remembered that you had called me Jack, I pulled back. That wasn't fair to you, Elizabeth. I felt sick knowing I had given you false hope, however unintentional it was. You weren't kissing me, you were kissing him. I couldn't let that go on."

A warmth stole over her as she remembered just how passionate his kiss had been. That had to mean something.

He seemed to read her mind. Reaching out, he took her hand in his and leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. "Elizabeth, I think it's clear I have feelings for you. I care for you deeply, and I hope one day you feel the same way about me." He ran his thumb over the ring that she still wore on her right hand. "But it's also clear that your heart isn't ready to move on yet, at least not fully. And I respect that. Maybe if we'd had more time before our marriage, things would have turned out differently between us. As it is, we are married, and I want you to know that I'm dedicated to making this marriage work. I will always treat you with dignity and respect. If these feelings remain one-sided, I'll be okay with that. Your happiness is what matters to me."

Elizabeth felt tears spring to her eyes. Nathan was being open with her, sharing his emotions at a level he never had before, being extremely vulnerable and telling her how he felt about her. That meant more to her than he knew. She squeezed his hand, wishing she could tell him what she knew his heart wanted to hear, but unable to yet. "For what it's worth, Nathan, I think my feelings will get there someday. They're already on their way." She glanced down at the ring on her right hand, the one he still held. "But you're right. I'm not quite ready to move on completely. Not yet."

Nathan nodded. "And that's why I promise what happened last night won't happen again. I won't kiss you again unless you're ready."

Elizabeth felt a tinge of disappointment, but she also felt a sense of relief. They were talking openly, and it felt good. No guessing, no mind reading. Just plain, honest communication.

"Thank you, Nathan," Elizabeth said. "I'm glad you're sharing all this with me. I know it can't be easy for you."

"I've faced gunmen with less fear than I have at this moment," he admitted with a rueful smile, letting go of her hand.

"I just want you to know how much I appreciate your courage," Elizabeth said, raising a hand to briefly touch his face. "Thank you."

Nathan laughed in surprise. "My courage? Elizabeth, you have more courage than anyone I know! No one else would have voluntarily given up a chance at her own happiness to marry a man who needed a wife to keep a child that wasn't his own."

Elizabeth took a sip of her tea, trying to hide the blush that came to her cheeks at his compliment. "I couldn't bear to see Allie go back to an abusive father," she said, her tone light, not wanting Nathan to feel like he had trapped her in a marriage. It had been her choice. She set her tea back on the table and looked back at Nathan. The change in his expression shocked her.

His face was suddenly ashen, and his mouth worked as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. "What did you just say?" he asked in a low voice.

Elizabeth thought back, wondering what could have triggered such a reaction. "I said she couldn't go back to her abusive father," she repeated, watching his face.

"Abusive?" Nathan said faintly. "What do you mean, abusive?"

Elizabeth's mouth fell open. Didn't he know? "Allie told me her father used to hit her. A lot. She also said your sister would intervene and end up being hit as well. Didn't Allie ever tell you that?"

He shook his head, looking like a slight breeze would knock him over. "I knew he had a problem with alcohol, but not abuse. Allie never said anything. My sister never said anything." His eyes took on a faraway look, as if he were thinking back to the past. After some time, he shook his head again. "How did I not know this?" he asked, looking dazed. "My sister meant the world to me, and Allie was the light of my life from the day she was born! Why didn't they say anything? Why didn't I see something?" Now he looked more anguished than anything else. "My baby sister. My sweet little niece. How could he do that to them?" His eyes became pools of steel, a fire smouldering in their blue depths. "If I ever see that man again, I'm going to…"

Elizabeth put a gentle hand on his arm, halting his line of thinking. "He could be a changed man, Nathan."

He exhaled, clearly fighting for internal control. "You're right, it's possible." Pursing his lips, he muttered under his breath, "Just not probable." For a moment he silently brooded, seeming to forget that Elizabeth was in the room. Suddenly his head snapped up and he looked at Elizabeth in horror.

Her eyes widened in response. "What is it?"

Nathan put his head in his hands, shaking his head. "Our marriage," he said slowly, each word drawn out. "It wasn't necessary."

Shock again filled Elizabeth. Now it was her turn to feel faint. "What?"

He looked up at her. "If I had known about Allie's father and his abusive tendencies, I could have stalled his custody claim with that information. At the very least there would have been an inquiry into his prior actions and Allie would have remained with me while they figured it out." He looked down, an anguished expression on his face. "I could have saved you the trouble of a marriage of convenience."

Elizabeth supposed she should feel upset about this revelation. She should sense the injustice of their circumstances. But she couldn't. She'd come to a realization about their marriage: she felt at peace about it. It wasn't what she would have chosen under normal circumstances, but she'd made peace with her decision, feeling it was the right thing to do. She could rail about the fact that had Nathan known about Allie's father, they wouldn't be here now. But that didn't change the fact that here they were. She could be upset about it, or she could choose to see a bigger plan at work.

She moved a little closer to Nathan and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nathan, I believe things happen for a reason. Neither one of us would have chosen this marriage, but outside circumstances brought us together. Now you, me, Jack, and Allie are a family. What's done is done. God's plans are bigger than our own. I have to trust that there's a reason we were all brought together as a family."

Nathan's eyes met hers. "You really believe that?" he asked, searching her eyes.

She nodded. "I do."

He took a shuddering breath. "So you're not upset?"

She smiled. "Surprisingly, no, I'm not."

Nathan let out a sigh of relief. "You're a strong woman, Elizabeth." He brushed a lock of hair back from her face, his touch lingering on her cheek briefly. "I can't say I'm disappointed that I get to have you in my life." He smiled. "Thank you for being a mother figure to my Allie."

She smiled, blushing slightly, and returned the compliment. "And thank you for being a father figure to little Jack. He adores you."

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you," Nathan said, a smile breaking out across his face. "The two of you have been the greatest unexpected blessings in my life."

"I could say the same of you and Allie," Elizabeth said, knowing it to be true. "Like I said, there's a plan at work here that none of us can comprehend yet. We just have to trust the timing."

Nathan nodded. "I do believe you're right."

* * *

As the next month passed, Nathan and Elizabeth settled into their routine. With the air finally cleared between them, it was as if most of the tension had vaporized. Nathan noticed he felt happier and more relaxed, especially around Elizabeth. A part of him was still holding back, the part that wanted her to know that he loved her, but he wasn't ready to tell her that yet. Especially not since she still wore Jack's wedding ring. But he knew she was open to loving him, and for now that was enough.

He walked into the saloon and looked around. He was supposed to be meeting Bill and Lee for lunch. Not finding them, he chose a table and sat down. Clara came over to take his order, a smile fixed on her face. "Hi, Nathan. What'll it be today?"

"I think I'll wait for Bill and Lee to order food, but I'll take some water while I wait."

"Sounds good," she said. "I'll be right back."

The doors to the saloon opened, and Nathan looked up expectantly. He tried not to let his face show any emotion when it was Lucas who came in. Lucas had let Nathan know in no uncertain terms that he didn't agree with the marriage. Little jabs here and there when they chanced to meet over the past couple months told Nathan exactly what Lucas thought. He sighed inwardly. He didn't exactly like Lucas either, so he supposed it didn't matter much.

The fact that the two men had a history of not getting along made Nathan feel more shocked than he normally would have when Lucas took a seat in a chair across from him. Steepling his fingers together, he eyed Nathan over them. For a long moment, he was silent. Nathan wondered what in the world he wanted in the first place. Finally, Lucas spoke.

"I owe you an apology."

That was the last thing Nathan expected him to say. His surprise must have showed on his face, because Lucas smiled wryly. "Believe me, Constable, this isn't easy for me to say. I just want you to know that I recognize that I've been petty in the past, and I'm sorry for it." He paused while Clara set Nathan's water on the table, then continued. "Elizabeth has shown me the meaning of grace and forgiveness in the past year. I figure I could learn a thing or two from her example. So I promise from now on to be civil."

Nathan blinked, trying to take that in. He knew what he had to do. "I owe you an apology as well, Lucas. I've made no secret of the fact that I didn't really like you, and I'm sorry for that. You seem like a decent guy."

"Likewise," Lucas said. He stood, holding out his hand. "Apology accepted."

Nathan shook the proffered hand. "Same."

Lucas nodded. "Lunch is on the house," he said with his smooth smile before heading for the bar.

Nathan smiled as he saw Bill and Lee enter the saloon just as Lucas left. Maybe Elizabeth was right. Maybe one day he and Lucas would be friends.


	8. Chapter 8

Elizabeth came home late one afternoon, feeling tired. She knew she still had dinner to prepare, and the thought of doing so was almost overwhelming. Little Jack would need her attention, and Allie likely needed help with homework. Putting a hand on the doorknob, she sighed. She loved her family, but sometimes she missed having a quiet evening to herself.

Pushing the door open, she was met with silence. She glanced around, wondering where the children were. Elizabeth had needed to stay later at work to grade papers, so Allie had gone on ahead of her. Elizabeth had expected to see the two children there with Laura, but no one was in sight. Puzzled, she looked around. Seeing a piece of paper on the table, she went to it and picked it up. Recognizing Nathan's scrawling handwriting, she read the words written there: Kids are with Lee and Rosemary. Meet me at Abigail's at 5.

Elizabeth smiled to herself. Lately Nathan seemed to be reading her mind when she needed something. He'd made a habit of doing little things for her that meant a lot. Washing the dishes after dinner. Tucking the kids into bed. Leaving a flower on her nightstand so she saw it when she woke up. Now this.

He was a thoughtful man, and he showed it in what he did. He might not say much, but he was a man of action.

She glanced at the clock. 4:45. Just enough time for her to freshen up and head to the cafe. She quickly got ready and then headed back out the door. She saw Rosemary's face in the window as she passed her house. Her friend was grinning and gave a saucy wave. Elizabeth gave her a side look and waved back. She could see Rosemary laughing with delight, and she wondered what was going on.

Arriving at the cafe, Elizabeth noticed the "closed" sign on the window. Before she could think about it too much, the door opened. Bill stood there, a smile on his face. "Good evening, Elizabeth," he said. "Come on in."

"Is the cafe closed?" Elizabeth asked. Bill simply nodded, then headed for the kitchen, giving Elizabeth a chance to look around the cafe. She gasped.

It was lit simply with some sturdy candles, and the white tableclothes had a few rose petals scattered over them. Nathan stood at a table in the middle of the room, holding a bouquet of roses. He was dressed in the same suit he'd worn for Jack's baptism and their wedding. He smiled at her as she walked toward him, taking everything in. "Nathan, what is all this?" she asked, eyes wide.

He held the flowers out to her. "This is me wooing my wife." He took her hand and seated her at the table, kissing her hand before he released it and took his seat across from her.

Elizabethe felt a thrill run through her at his words as she placed the roses in a vase sitting on their table. "Woo your wife?" she asked, hoping for further explanation. Nathan did not disappoint.

"Yes," he said matter-of-factly. "I never got a chance to court you, to win your heart the normal way. I fully intend to do so now."

"A married man courting. Who ever heard of such a thing?" Elizabeth said playfully.

Nathan laughed, but his face quickly became serious. He reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "I believe the happiest marriages are those in which the husband and wife continue to show their love for each other in both the everyday moments and in romantic ways. They try to win each other's hearts in a courtship; why should that stop in marriage?" He squeezed her hand, letting it go. "I intend to love you by means of both."

Elizabeth felt overwhelmed in the best way possible. Nathan was being intentional. He was making a concentrated effort to win her heart, and that warmed her more than she'd thought possible. She smiled at him. "And you thought this would be a good place to start?"

He shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I might have had some help. I'm not exactly an expert in the romance department."

"Let me guess, Rosemary helped?"

Nathan shook his head, a little color coming into his cheeks.

"Bill?" Another head shake. "Lee?"

"Nope."

Elizabeth was stumped. She tried one final time. "Carson?"

Nathan smiled wryly. "No, not Carson."

"Who then?" Elizabeth couldn't think of anyone else in Hope Valley that Nathan would feel comfortable asking for romantic advice.

He shifted in his chair, then looked up at her. "Lucas."

Elizabeth's mouth fell open. "Lucas?" She sat there blinking, trying to take that in. "_You_ asked _Lucas_ for help?"

"Strange, isn't it?" Nathan said with a light chuckle. "We've been working on getting along. Looks like your wish for us to be friends is well on its way to coming true."

Elizabeth was flabbergasted. She hadn't known the two men were making an effort to be friends. She swallowed her surprise and smiled at Nathan. "I'm happy to hear that, Nathan. I think you and Lucas could be good friends."

He smiled back. "I think you could be right. He's not so bad after all."

Elizabeth laughed. "And it probably helps that I'm not a point of contention between you two anymore."

Nathan nodded. "That is certainly a plus." He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe we'll be able to find someone who will be Lucas' happily ever after."

Elizabeth's eyes twinkled. "I've been thinking about that, and I believe he and Fiona would be a splendid match."

"Hmm," Nathan said, leaning back in his chair, clearly mulling the thought over. "You know, they would be pretty great together. Maybe you should take up matchmaking." He winked.

Elizabeth laughed. "I think I'll leave the matchmaking to Rosemary. Although, it couldn't hurt to mention our little thought to her. Lucas and Fiona would be set up before they realized what was going on." She looked around the cafe again, still in awe of what Nathan had pulled off. "This is really beautiful, Nathan. Thank you."

He smiled at her tenderly. "Anytime, Elizabeth."

Bill chose that moment to walk in with two plates of food. Setting them down, he wiped his hands on the white apron he wore and put on a mock serious expression. "Will there be anything else right now?"

Nathan shook his head. "This looks great. Thanks, Bill."

"My pleasure," Bill said with a dry smile. "Enjoy, you two."

"Wow," Elizabeth said, looking at the plate of steak and potatoes in front of her. "Bill went all out." She took a bite and her eyes widened. "And it's delicious! I didn't realize he could cook quite so well."

"He is a man of many hidden talents," Nathan said, laughing. "Just don't let him know that you know that. He will deny it until he's blue in the face."

They talked for several hours, sharing their lives and thoughts with each other. Elizabeth marveled at how easy it was to talk with Nathan. In this intimate setting with just the two of them, he talked more freely than she'd ever heard him do before. It delighted her to know that he trusted her with his heart, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be long before her heart was his. She still wasn't there yet, but she felt herself falling for him a little more each day, with each kind word or meaningful look or sweet gesture. Their day to day life was happy and contented, and if she was honest with herself, she loved that she got to spend her life with him raising Allie and little Jack.

After their dinner and conversation, Nathan offered Elizabeth his arm, and they walked home together at a leisurely pace. Elizabeth held the vase of roses in her free hand, cradling it next to her side. As they came to a stop in front of the Coulters' house, Elizabeth smiled up at Nathan. "I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you, Nathan."

He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, kissing it gently. "My pleasure, Elizabeth. I had a wonderful time as well." He smiled, releasing her hand. "I'll get the kids. We'll see you in a minute."

Elizabeth smiled to herself as she walked into the house. She brought the roses to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent. It had been one of the best nights she'd had in a very long time.

* * *

That night as Nathan lay in bed, he thought about the dinner with Elizabeth. It had been perfect. Somehow, since they'd been married, she had broken through his defenses. He could talk to her better than he could talk to anyone else. He had to admit it was nice having someone to talk to. Each day that passed he fell more deeply in love with his wife, and the intensity of his feelings sometimes scared him. He'd talked to Lee about it recently, and Lee had chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You've got it bad, my friend. Does Elizabeth know how much you love her?"

Nathan shook his head. "I've told her I'm falling for her, but I haven't told her that I'm in love with her, much less how deeply I love her."

Lee nodded. "If I've learned anything being married to Rosie, it's that communication is of utmost importance. Are you ready for her to know how you feel?"

"That's just it, I don't know," Nathan admitted. "A part of me wants to tell her, but another part of me is afraid it would just pressure her into thinking she has to love me back. I don't want her to feel obligated to love me. I want it to be her free choice."

"Nathan, I can tell you Elizabeth would never feel obligated to do something. She's an independent woman, and she would never pretend to have feelings she doesn't actually have. I don't think you need to worry about that. Just be honest with her." He leaned forward. "Between you and me, I can see how she's been looking at you lately. My guess is she's falling for you too, but just isn't quite ready to admit it to herself."

Nathan thought over Lee's words as he lay in his bed. Did he dare to hope that Elizabeth was starting to return his feelings? He was prepared to give her all the time she needed, with the knowledge that she might never love him the way he loved her. Yet he couldn't help hoping that someday she would feel the same way for him that he now felt for her.

"Nathan?" Elizabeth's soft voice came from the other side of the curtain.

"Yes?" He couldn't deny a jolt of electricty that went through him at the sound of her voice. Yep, Lee was right. He had it bad.

Elizabeth's voice was quiet but clear. "Thank you again for tonight."

"You're welcome, Elizabeth."

"Maybe this weekend we could go riding. Just the two of us."

Nathan's heart flipped. He hadn't expected Elizabeth to suggest an outing for the two of them. He felt hope rising in his heart, and worked hard to keep his voice steady.

"I would like that very much."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Good. It's a date."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Goodnight, Nathan."

"Goodnight, Elizabeth. Sweet dreams." _My love._

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Rosemary asked the next day, holding little Jack on her lap.

"How did what go?" Elizabeth asked, feigning innocence.

Naturally, Rosemary was not fooled. "Don't you play innocent with me, Elizabeth Grant! You know exactly what I mean. Doesn't she?" she cooed to Jack, who looked at his mama with wide eyes.

"A'tan!" he said with a grin.

"Well, even my son seems to understand what's going on," Elizabeth said with a chuckle. "Okay, fine. Last night was perfect."

"Details, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth smiled. "He had Bill close the cafe and prepare a special meal for the two of us. He scattered rose petals on the tables and lit the cafe with candles. Then he gave me a bouquet of roses. We ate and talked for hours. It was wonderful."

Rosemary sighed happily. "Has he told you he loves you yet?"

"No, not yet," Elizabeth said. "He has told me he's falling for me, though."

Rosemary raised a brow. "And you? Have you fallen for him?"

Elizabeth glanced at her right ring finger. "I don't know, Rosemary. I think I'm well on my way, but when I think of taking off Jack's ring, I just can't. And that tells me I'm not there yet."

Rosemary's eyes softened. "Elizabeth, just because you open your heart to another man does not diminish your love for Jack in any way. He was your first love, but Nathan is going to be your life love if you let him. Jack wanted you to find love and happiness again. I think he would approve of Nathan."

Elizabeth smiled. "I know he would approve of Nathan. I think the two of them would have been very good friends if they'd ever had the chance to meet." She twirled the ring around her finger slowly, then looked at Nathan's ring. "I think Nathan is going to hold back on telling me how he feels until I take Jack's ring off."

Rosemary frowned. "Is he pressuring you at all?"

"Oh, no, not at all!" Elizabeth said. "If anything, he's very supportive. He told me even if I never feel about him the way he feels for me, he'd still be committed to our relationship."

"That does sound like him," Rosemary said. "He's a good man, Elizabeth."

"I know," Elizabeth agreed. "I think I'll get there soon. He's making it very easy to fall for him, that's for sure. Did I tell you he's planning on courting me?"

Rosemary laughed outright. "Who knew Nathan Grant could be romantic!"

Elizabeth tried and failed to supress a grin. "Did I tell you who he got romantic advice from before our dinner last night?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't me," Rosemary said with a little snort. "Did he talk to Lee?"

"No. Lucas."

"Lucas?" Rosemary sounded more surprised than Elizabeth had. "Are you serious? I didn't even know they were speaking to each other!"

"Apparently they're trying to be friends," Elizabeth said. "I was beyond surprised. Oh, and that reminds me." Her eyes twinkled. "What do you think about Lucas and Fiona as a couple?"

Rosemary's eyebrows shot up her forehead. "Lucas and Fiona?" She bounced Jack up and down on her knee, clearly thinking it over. "You know," she finally said, "I think that's brilliant! Why didn't we think of this before?"


	9. Chapter 9

Saturday was a bright and clear day. Elizabeth finished packing some sandwiches into a bag for her ride with Nathan. They'd decided to have a picnic by a lake about an hour's ride from Hope Valley. The morning had been warm and mild, perfect weather for riding. Elizabeth was a little surprised at how much she was looking forward to their outing, almost as surprised as she was to have heard herself suggesting it to Nathan after their dinner. All she knew was that she wanted to get to know him better, to spend time with him and explore the possibilities in their relationship.

Her heart was opening again. Or more accurately, it was expanding. Jack would always have a place in her heart, but room was slowly being made for Nathan. Every day it seemed he claimed a bigger piece of her heart than he had the previous day. It scared her a little to be falling for another man, another Mountie at that, but she knew she couldn't live in fear. If she did, she could miss out on a beautiful life. She squared her shoulders. No, she wouldn't let her fears win. She would let this play out how it would, and she would allow Nathan into her heart, whatever that ended up looking like. Maybe they would only ever be good friends, but she wasn't going to shut the door to loving him. She planned to leave it wide open. She was as committed as he was to making this marriage work.

The man at the center of her thoughts walked through the door, holding her son. Both looked happy. Nathan had taken Jack and Allie with him to the mercantile to pick up a few items for Elizabeth, and then he'd dropped Allie off at Emily's for a tea party with some of their classmates.

"Hi, Elizabeth," Nathan said, a boyish smile crossing his face. Moments like this, when he seemed so carefree and relaxed, made her realize just how attractive to her he was. She felt her heart turning somersaults in her chest as his smile lingered, his eyes glued to hers. "Ready for our adventure?"

Goodness, when had his eyes become that blue? She floundered in her mind for a moment, trying to remember the question. _Say something, Elizabeth!_

"Um, yes!" she said finally, a brightness in her voice she couldn't hide. His smile widened, and Elizabeth's mouth dropped. He could tell she was flustered! And he was enjoying it! Her eyes narrowed at him, and he turned his attention to little Jack.

"Well, buddy, why don't we go see your Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Lee? I'm sure they're excited to play with you today." He gave Elizabeth another grin and brought Jack to her. She took the boy in her arms and gave him a hug and a kiss.

"You be good for the Coulters, okay?" she said, rubbing his nose with hers.

"'Kay!" he said sweetly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"That's my boy," Elizabeth said with a grin. Nathan smiled impishly and took Jack back from her, then headed out the door to drop him off with Lee and Rosemary. Elizabeth laughed to herself. She'd had no idea Nathan had a playful side to him. She was going to have to keep that in mind. Still chuckling, she finished packing their lunch, wrapping it well to prevent it being squashed in the saddlebags.

"What's so funny?" Nathan asked as he came back into the house. His eyes were twinkling.

"You," Elizabeth said. "I sense a bit of impishness in you, Nathan Grant, which you have managed to keep well hidden until this moment."

He chuckled. "My secret is out. Though I'm sure Allie could give you an earful about that."

"I'll have to ask her all about it," Elizabeth said, tilting her head slightly and grinning at him.

"On second thought, maybe you shouldn't," Nathan said with mock seriousness. "My reputation as a reserved, quiet Mountie would go right out the window."

"Oh, well we can't have that, now can we?" Elizabeth said, mimicking his serious tone. "Your secret is safe with me." She winked. "For now."

Nathan put a hand to his chest. "What a relief!" A smirk broke though, and they both laughed together. Nathan held out his arm. "Shall we get going?"

The butterflies returned in full force as Elizabeth slipped her arm through his. "We shall. Lead the way."

They walked to the stables and saddled their horses. Within minutes they were riding out of Hope Valley at a leisurely pace.

Elizabeth breathed in the warm air. Wildflowers were growing again, and the smell was heavenly. She sighed happily. "Is there anything better than the scent of wildflowers in spring?"

Nathan smiled. "I can think of a few things. But it is a lovely smell."

An open field stretched out before them, full of flowers and sunshine. Elizabeth glanced at Nathan. "Do you want to race?"

He raised his brows in surprise. "You want to race?"

"Unless you think you can't beat me, of course," Elizabeth said sweetly.

Nathan laughed. "You're on. Yah!" he cried, urging his horse into a run. Elizabeth did the same with her horse. They flew across the field, laughing. They slowed their horses at the same time, looking at each other with matching smiles.

"That was exhilarating!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I can't remember the last time I galloped in a field!"

"It certainly lets you know that you're alive," Nathan agreed. "It's an amazing feeling." He grinned. "And I totally beat you."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped. "You did not!" she protested. "You slowed down first. I was clearly the winner."

Nathan grinned. "I'll concede defeat this time. But only this time. And only because I like you."

Their lighthearted banter continued for the rest of the ride. By the time they reached the lake, they were both more relaxed than they'd been in a while. They crested a hill, and Elizabeth stopped her horse, her breath catching in her throat. "Oh, Nathan," she said in awe. "This is beautiful!"

The lake was large and surrounded by a forest on one side and fields of flowers on the other. The water was still and clear, reflecting the blue of the sky. A gentle breeze blew, and the branches of the trees swayed softly.

"I thought you might like it," Nathan said with a gentle smile. "I found it soon after I came to Hope Valley, completely by accident. I got a little turned around headed for Union City, and came upon this place." He looked out at the view, looking awestruck himself. "It's one of the most peaceful places I've ever been." He jumped down from his horse, then came to Elizabeth to help her off hers. Placing his hands on her waist, he easily lifted her and carefully set her on her feet. His hands remained at her waist for a few moments, and their eyes locked. Elizabeth felt the now-familiar stomach butterflies as their gaze lengthened. Nathan cleared his throat and took the reins for both horses, leading them to a tree to secure them. Making sure they had plenty of room to move, he watched as Elizabeth pulled the picnic items from the saddlebags.

"We have lots of food," Elizabeth said lightly, her tone hiding the emotion she was feeling. "Where should we set this up?"

Nathan pulled a picnic blanket from a bag. "Follow me. I have the perfect spot." He led her to a grassy spot at the water's edge, with a panoramic view of everything. "How's this?"

Elizabeth smiled. "You're right, it's the perfect spot." Nathan grinned and spread the blanket on the grass. Elizabeth unwrapped the food and placed it on some sturdy cloth towels she'd brought with them. After saying grace, they started eating.

"These sandwiches are delicious, Elizabeth," Nathan said, starting on his second one. "Thank you for making us lunch."

"You're welcome," she said. She held her half-eaten sandwich in her hands, just looking around. "I can't get over how amazing this place is. It's so beautiful."

"Yes it is," Nathan said. But he wasn't looking at the view. He was looking at her.

Elizabeth blushed and resumed eating her sandwich. She glanced back at Nathan. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her. "What?" she asked, wondering if she had something on her face.

He shook his head, a little smile playing on his lips. "You really are beautiful, Elizabeth. Inside and out."

Elizabeth's cheeks deepened in color. Nathan laughed softly. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Elizabeth. I'm just speaking the truth."

"Thank you, Nathan. That's sweet of you." Elizabeth looked down, realizing she was unconsciously playing with Nathan's ring on her left hand. A sudden realization hit her. "You had these rings on our wedding day, even though it was extremely short notice. Where did they come from?"

Nathan looked at the ring on his own hand. His eyes took on a look that told Elizabeth he was remembering something from long ago. "They were my grandparents' rings," he said. "My mom's parents. My grandmother and I were very close as I was growing up. I didn't know my grandfather well because he died when I was young, but I heard the story of their love many times. It was something of a legend in our family. They were childhood sweethearts, and always knew they were meant to be together. They ended up separated for a time when my grandfather had to go to work in a mine to start saving money. They didn't see each other for three years. Then one day my grandfather came back and got down on a knee, asking my grandmother to marry him. Even though she hadn't seen him in those three years, she said yes right away. They had a very happy marriage. After my grandfather died, my grandmother came to live with us. When I turned twenty, she gave me these rings. She said she wanted me to have them for my future wife. She told me to find a special woman to give her ring to someday." He smiled at Elizabeth, taking her hand and looking deep into her eyes. "I think she would be happy to know you're wearing her ring." With a gentle squeeze, he let her hand go.

Elizabeth felt tears spring to her eyes. "That's a lovely story, Nathan." She looked at the ring he had given her. "I'm honored to know you gave me something so special."

"I wouldn't want to give it to anyone else. There's only one woman I've ever loved." The look in his eyes told her he meant it, though she could tell from his expression that he hadn't meant to mention love. The significance of the moment hung between them. Elizabeth could hardly breathe. His heart was laid bare before her, and she didn't quite know how to respond.

Nathan must have read her mind. "You don't need to respond, Elizabeth. I didn't mean to say that, not yet."

"I think I've known for a while that you feel that way, Nathan," Elizabeth revealed. "It's obvious in your actions."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I hope you know that I don't expect anything from you. We entered into this marriage for Allie, and I want you to know that I will never pressure you to feel for me what I feel for you."

"I know that," Elizabeth said gently. "You're a perfect gentleman, Nathan." She smiled, moving the conversation to more light-hearted territory. "Even if you do snore."

Nathan blinked, momentarily confused by the turn in conversation. Then he smiled. "Snoring? I don't snore." He matched her easy and teasing tone.

"Oh, believe me, you do," Elizabeth said, trying to stay serious but failing. She laughed lightly. "Okay, so you don't snore. But that doesn't mean you never will."

Nathan shot her a look with a smirk. "Maybe you're the one snoring."

"I do not!"

He laughed. "And how would you know that?"

He had her there. "Well...I wouldn't...but I can assure you that I don't!"

"You're right, you don't," Nathan said, his eyes sparkling. "Would you mind passing me an apple, please?"

Elizabeth took one out of the bag. "You mean this apple?" she asked, holding it just out of reach. An impish impulse came over her, and she sprang to her feet. "If you want it, you'll have to catch it first!" With that, she took off running.

Nathan sat immobile for a split second, surprised by Elizabeth's antics. Then he laughed and jumped to his feet, racing after her. Elizabeth squealed and tried to go faster, but Nathan was too quick. One arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her firmly against him. Elizabeth held the apple high in the air, but Nathan's long arm allowed him to easily pull the fruit from her grasp. They were both laughing hard, and the apple slipped from Nathan's hand in his fit of laughter. As their laughter died away, Elizabeth became very aware of Nathan's presence and their close proximity. Nathan must have been aware of it also, because his breathing slowed and he looked at Elizabeth with an emotion she couldn't read. His free hand slowly raised to cup her cheek, and he brought his forehead down to hers, closing his eyes.

Elizabeth felt simultaneously safe and scared in his arms. Her heart was pounding and she felt dizzy, her senses filled with him. In that moment, all she wanted was to kiss him. She raised her face toward his, hoping he would read her intent there.

He did. His eyes dropped to her lips, and she could see that he wanted to kiss her. Elizabeth closed her eyes, waiting.

"No."

At Nathan's quiet words, Elizabeth's eyes flew open again. "No?" she questioned.

He shook his head, his hand still cupping her cheek. "I love you, Elizabeth. I love you more than I thought possible. I want more than anything to kiss you right now." He took a deep breath. "But I promised you I wouldn't kiss you again until you were ready. I don't think you're ready yet."

Elizabeth started to protest, but Nathan brought a finger to her lips, effectively quieting her. "Are you in love with me, Elizabeth?"

_Tell him yes, _a voice in her heart said. But was she? Or was she just caught up in the moment?

She took a steadying breath. "I'm getting there, Nathan. But I can't say the words you want to hear yet."

He nodded. "That's what I thought. And that's fine, Elizabeth. Truly." He ran his hand down her hair, smoothing it gently. "Maybe someday you'll be able to tell me you love me too, or maybe you'll never be able to. Either way, I'll be here. Thank you for being honest with me."

Elizabeth felt a tear slip from her eye and make its way down her cheek. Nathan gently brushed it away with his hand, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead, lingering there for a few moments. Elizabeth closed her eyes, trying to figure out the emotion she was feeling.

Nathan pulled away, but kept his arm around Elizabeth's waist as they walked back to their picnic spot.

As they sat down and resumed their lunch, an easy conversation sprang up between them. Elizabeth was grateful. Grateful that they could be honest with each other. Grateful that Nathan didn't push her for more than she could give. Grateful to just be here with him, getting to know him better and having the opportunity to strengthen their friendship.

As they packed up and started back toward Hope Valley, Elizabeth finally identified what it was she felt around Nathan, how he made her feel.

_Cherished._


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note:_ _This chapter is a bit of a rollercoaster. The cliffhanger will be resolved in the next chapter, I promise! Don't throw things at me! :)_

The months passed by, and soon it was summer break. Elizabeth was excited to spend more time with Allie and Jack over the break. She loved being with the children. Nathan had promised to take some time off work so that the four of them could go on a camping trip. Allie was beyond excited, and little Jack had picked up on her excitement. The two of them would talk about the trip, with Allie explaining to Jack what camping entailed and Jack looking up at her with his big blue eyes, not understanding what she meant but loving the attention from his cousin.

Watching the relationship between Jack and Allie grow had made Elizabeth very happy over the past several months. The two of them were so close, and Allie loved to help Elizabeth with Jack. They couldn't have loved each other more if they were flesh-and-blood siblings.

Then there was the relationship between Nathan and Jack. There was no doubt in Elizabeth's mind that Nathan loved her son as much as she did, and the feelings were clearly mutual. Jack loved Nathan and had taken to watching at the window in the evenings for Nathan to come home. When he spotted him, he would laugh and clap his hands. "A'tan home!" he would announce, grinning at Elizabeth and crawling off the couch to stand by the door. As soon as it opened, Jack would lunge forward, latching onto Nathan's legs until he picked him up. Nathan would scoop Jack into his arms and give him a bear hug, which produced hysterical squeals from the little boy. It warmed Elizabeth's heart to see how much they loved each other. Little Jack had a wonderful man for a father.

Her heart was gradually drawing closer to Nathan's as well. She still couldn't tell him that she loved him, but she noticed everything he did that showed how much he loved her. The newest thing was calling her "sweetheart." The first time he had done so, his eyes had widened and his mouth dropped, indicating that he hadn't planned on saying it. It had just slipped out.

"I'm sorry," he'd said, starting to apologize, but Elizabeth cut him off.

"I like it, Nathan," she told him with a smile. "You can call me that if you want to."

He'd smiled back, running his knuckles gently down her cheek. "Then you can be sure I will." It had been a daily occurance ever since.

The feeling of being cherished had only grown since the day of their picnic. Nathan continued to love her in his words and actions without putting any pressure on her to return his feelings. She wondered how long it would take for her heart to follow her mind. Nathan was the perfect man for her. She knew that. She just wasn't sure if she could say she had moved on and could freely love him back.

The front door opened, bringing Elizabeth's mind back to the present. Jack and Allie were out exploring with Laura, and she wasn't expecting them back for another hour. But it wasn't them coming through the door. It was Rosemary.

"Hello, Elizabeth!" Rosemary said, a grin covering her face. "Isn't it a beautiful day?" She enveloped Elizabeth in a hug.

Elizabeth chuckled. "It certainly is, but you seem too happy for this to be simply weather related." She eyed her friend. "What's going on?"

Rosemary's face was glowing. "You know how I haven't been feeling particularly well lately?"

"Yes. Did you find out what's going on?"

"I did indeed!" Now Rosemary's grin was so big, Elizabeth was sure her face would split if it got any bigger. "I just got back from the infirmary. Elizabeth, I'm pregnant!" She squealed, her excitement contagious.

Elizabeth felt happiness for Rosemary well up inside, and she squealed right along with her friend. "Rosemary, that's wonderful news!" she cried. "The best news ever!"

"I know!" Rosemary said, laughing with joy. "Oh Elizabeth, I've been longing for a child, and now we're finally going to have one! I can't wait to meet the baby!"

"How long will that be?" Elizabeth asked.

Rosemary pursed her lips. "Not for another six months. The baby should come in early December. I don't know how I'm going to wait that long, but I suppose I don't have a choice." She put her hands on her stomach, looking down in wonder. "I had almost given up hope, Elizabeth. Lee and I thought we couldn't have a baby. Yet here we are." Her eyes held wonder. "Isn't it amazing?"

Elizabeth took Rosemary's hands in hers. "Absolutely amazing, Rosemary. I'm so happy for you and Lee!"

Rosemary's eyes sparkled. "Obviously you and Nathan will be the godparents. Speaking of which…" She pulled Elizabeth to the settee and sat. "What's going on with you and Nathan?"

"What do you mean, what's going on between me and Nathan?" Elizabeth asked, confused by the question and the sudden change in subject.

Rosemary harrumphed. "I've seen the way you've been looking at him lately, Elizabeth. Like you're falling for him. I've also seen the way he looks at you, like a man hopelessly in love."

Elizabeth hadn't told Rosemary about Nathan's declaration of love at their picnic. It had seemed much too personal to share at the time. Maybe now she could tell her. Maybe Rosemary could help her understand the emotions ricocheting around in her heart.

"Rosemary, do you remember the picnic Nathan and I went on?"

"Of course!" Rosemary said with a dramatic sigh. "It sounded so romantic! I still can't believe he didn't kiss you then!"

Elizabeth blushed. "There was more to it," she said. "I didn't tell you everything that happened that day."

"You didn't?" Rosemary looked surprised. "What didn't you tell me?"

"That Nathan admitted he loves me," Elizabeth said softly.

Rosemary's mouth hung open for a moment, and then she started to smile. "That's wonderful, Elizabeth!" She searched Elizabeth's eyes, trying to read them. "How did it make you feel?"

"Wonderful," Elizabeth admitted. "Cherished is the word that most often comes to mind when I think about Nathan. He shows his love in so many ways. He's only said the words once, but I know he loves me because of his actions. It feels good to know how much he cares."

"And how do you feel about him?"

Elizabeth sighed. "That's the big question, isn't it?" She looked down at Jack's ring on her right hand. "Most days I think I'm ready to love Nathan. Other days I wonder if I'll ever be ready."

Rosemary was uncharacteristically quiet for a minute. Then she took Elizabeth's hand and looked directly into her eyes. "Elizabeth, if you wait until you feel ready, you might never be ready. Love requires a leap of faith." She leaned forward a little, emphasizing her words. "I think you're ready to take that leap." She settled back against the settee, measuring her next words. "You know I was against this marriage initially. I thought it was too soon. But even then it was obvious that Nathan cared for you. Now I think this marriage was the best thing to happen to both of you."

Tears had filled Elizabeth's eyes, though whether they were happy or sad or somewhere inbetween she couldn't quite tell. "Why's that?"

"Because you are a wife to a man who loves you more than words can say. You have a father for little Jack, and you have a niece who has become more like a daughter to you than anything else. The four of you work together better than I could have dreamed, and you're happy again, Elizabeth. I haven't seen you this happy in a very, very long time." She paused. "I think you're more in love with Nathan than you're admitting to yourself. I think you're scared to admit how much he means to you because you're afraid you could lose him like you lost Jack. But I don't think you'll lose Nathan. Jack always had to fight the good fight. That was his calling. Nathan's calling is his family. He will always put his family first. He will always put you first."

Now the tears were rolling down Elizabeth's cheeks. Rosemary was right. Why hadn't she seen this sooner? Nathan was committed to those he loved, and his love was true and noble and pure. She glanced down at Jack's ring again. Maybe she had left it on because unconsciously she knew that taking it off would signify the end of one chapter of her life and the embracing of a new one that was still unknown. She twisted the ring slowly around her finger, debating within herself. Rosemary watched and waited, sensing the importance of the moment. Slowly, oh so slowly, Elizabeth pulled the ring from her finger. She waited for the sadness to hit, but it didn't. She could almost feel Jack smiling down on her from heaven, cheering her on in her journey to love again, just as he had wanted her to.

Rosemary hugged her, a smile in her voice. "I'm proud of you, Elizabeth. That was a big step you just took.'

Elizabeth smiled, a feeling of peace washing over her like rain. She ran a finger over the ring, then got up and found a small box on the little table by the stairs. Placing the ring inside, she put it in a drawer and closed it, exhaling a breath. "I'll save it for little Jack," she said, coming back to sit next to Rosemary again.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Rosemary said.

A sudden crack of thunder made them both jump. "What in the world?" Rosemary exclaimed.

Elizabeth looked out the window. Only thirty minutes ago, it had been sunny with nary a cloud in sight. Now the sky was dark and foreboding, with lightning flashing across the clouds. Another loud roar of thunder hit, so loud the house shook. "Oh my goodness!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "When did that happen?"

Rosemary clicked her tongue. "Summer storms are so unpredictable," she said. "I should be going. Good thing I'm just next door!"

A jolt of fear suddenly shot through Elizabeth's heart. "The kids are out there!" she cried. "Laura took them on an outing. They were supposed to be back soon!"

"Calm down, Elizabeth," Rosemary said, sounding soothing. Elizabeth could see the fear in her eyes too, though she tried to mask it. "I'm sure they found shelter. The children are very resourceful, especially Allie."

"I hope you're right," Elizabeth said, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She didn't know how she would survive if anything happened to her children.

_Her children_. The thought burned its way into her heart. Allie was just as much hers as little Jack was. If anything happened to either of them, it would crush her.

She grabbed a jacket from the hook. "I'm going to find Nathan. Maybe they stopped by the office before coming home." Taking off out the door at a run, Elizabeth prayed hard._ Please let them be okay_.

* * *

Rain pattered hard on the roof of the Mountie office. Nathan gave a low whistle as another peal of thunder echoed through the town. It had been raining for a little while, and the thunder and lightning had recently joined in. He was thankful that Elizabeth and the children were safe at home in this weather.

The door to his office burst open, and a drenched, breathless Elizabeth came in. The look on her face brought him right to his feet. "Elizabeth? What is it? What's wrong?"

She looked around, a wild look in her eyes. "Are the children here?"

Bewildered, he said, "No, of course not. Why would they be here? I thought they were at home."

She shook her head. "Laura took them out exploring. They were going to go by the river." Her hands flew to her mouth. "The river! Oh no!" She turned to fly out the door again, but Nathan grabbed her arm.

"Elizabeth, wait! You can't just rush out like this!"

Tears were flowing down her cheeks. "Nathan, we have to go find them! God only knows what could happen to them in this storm!"

He pulled her into his arms, hoping to calm her. He felt fear curling through his stomach, but he tried to find a silver lining. "I'm sure they found a cave or some shelter when the rain started," he said, pulling back and looking into her eyes. He looked out the window, noting that the weather continued to worsen. "Go back to the house, Elizabeth. I'll get Bill and we'll search for them."

"I'm not going to stand by and just wait!" Elizabeth cried, shaking him a little. "I need to go find them. These are our children, Nathan! I have to look too."

"Elizabeth, I can't risk anything happening to you," Nathan countered, worried about her safety.

She lifted her chin, determination in her eyes. "If you won't let me go, I'll follow you anyways. I'm not going to stand by and do nothing."

Nathan sighed. He knew she meant it. "Fine. Let's go." They hurried to the livery and saddled the horses. Without a word, they set out together toward the river.

The sound of rushing water met them as they arrived. The current looked angry and swirled rapidly, bringing a shudder to Nathan. If they had been near the water when it flooded…

He pushed the thought from his mind._ They'll be fine_, he told himself. _They have to be fine._

They searched along the river for what felt like forever. Just as they were about to give up and head back to town in hopes that the children had made their way back, Nathan heard a faint cry. Elizabeth sat up straight in the saddle next to him, and he knew she had heard it too.

"This way," Nathan said, urging his horse to a trot. After a moment he stopped and listened again. This time the cry was louder and clearer: _Help!_

"That's Laura!" Elizabeth cried. "They're in trouble!" They rode toward the sound, coming to a rock wall near the mountain. Nathan jumped off his horse and cupped his hands to his mouth. "Laura! Where are you!"

"Mountie Nathan! We're trapped!" her reply came from somewhere behind the rocks. Nathan searched the rocks, trying to figure out where they would be. He came to a pile of small boulders against the wall. It looked like a fresh rock slide. "Laura, are you in there?" he asked.

"Uncle Nathan!" came Allie's voice. She sounded hysterical. "Please, get us out of here! Jack's hurt!"

His heart dropped. Elizabeth's face was an ashen color he'd never seen before. "We need to clear these rocks, Elizabeth." She nodded faintly, moving beside him and frantically clawing at the rocks. They worked together, clearing the boulders one by one until there was room for them to get inside.

Nathan stepped through the opening, wanting to shield Elizabeth from whatever it was he might find. Laura and Allie looked a little scraped up, but no major injuries were apparent. He breathed a little sigh of relief, until his eyes landed on a motionless, bloodied Jack in Allie's arms. Allie's face was tear-streaked and terrified. "He's not moving, Uncle Nathan! One of the boulders hit him. I think he's...he's…" Her words died away, and fresh sobs burst from her as she cradled the little boy in her arms.

Nathan's heart stopped. Jack was so still, so pale, with crimson stains all over his little body. Nathan felt terror and grief welling up inside, but his training took over and he knew what they had to do. Taking Jack gently from Allie, he stood and went through the opening once again. "Follow me, girls."

They did, both of them still crying. Nathan steeled himself to face Elizabeth, knowing she was about to face one of her worst fears. His only comfort was that he could feel Jack's faint breathing. He was still alive. Elizabeth came toward him, her eyes on Jack. "Nathan…" Her voice broke and her hands went to her mouth.

"He's alive. Get on the horse, Elizabeth," Nathan said firmly. She did so, the tears flowing down her face. Nathan carefully handed little Jack to her, then pulled a blanket from his saddlebag. "Wrap him in this. He needs to be protected from the elements." Turning to Allie and Laura, he said, "You can ride the other horse, girls. Go carefully. I need to get Jack to the infirmary right away."

"Will he be okay?" Allie sobbed out, fear written all over her face.

Nathan knew she wouldn't accept anything other than honesty. "I don't know, sweetheart." He bent down and clasped her in a fierce hug. "Pray, Allie. Pray harder than you've ever prayed before."

She nodded, her face still ashen. He helped the girls onto the horse, then swung onto his own horse behind Elizabeth. "Hold him tight," Nathan said to her. "We're going to go as fast as we can."

Elizabeth nodded and hugged Jack to her chest. Nathan put one arm around them both, then commanded his horse to run.

As they rode, Nathan could feel the fear rising inside him once again. He could feel Elizabeth's fear too. Allie and Laura were close behind them, both having ridden horses since their youth and able to stay in a saddle at a full run. He'd told them to go carefully, but a part of him was glad they were keeping up. Then he could make sure nothing happened to them either.

Nothing could happen to Jack. He couldn't even consider the possibility of losing the child who was like a son to him. He couldn't imagine what Elizabeth was going through right now.

Jack had to be okay. Nathan tightened his arm around them and gave his horse another command. Somehow the animal managed to go even faster. Thankful, Nathan looked up to heaven and prayed fervently.

_Please, Lord, please bring healing to little Jack. Please bring him back to us._


	11. Chapter 11

They arrived at the infirmary in record time, though to Nathan it felt like an eternity. Elizabeth was silently weeping in front of him. He jumped down, lifted Elizabeth from the saddle, and with his arms around her guided her into the infirmary. Carson looked up when they came in, clearly surprised by the sudden entry. Faith took one look at Jack in Elizabeth's arms and gasped, her hands going to her heart.

Carson sprang into action. He took Jack from Elizabeth and laid him on the bed. "Scissors, please," he said to Faith. She quickly handed them to him and he began cutting Jack's clothes from his body.

"Heat up some water and bring me some washcloths, please," he said next. Never before had Nathan been so thankful for this team of doctor and nurse who worked so well and efficiently together. Nathan kept an arm securely around Elizabeth. She was putting on a brave face, but he knew her heart was breaking. Her baby was in mortal danger. She refused to leave his side, watching Carson's every move, holding onto Nathan like a lifeline.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Carson washed his hands. Little Jack had received stitches in several different areas of his head and torso, and he was now wrapped loosely in a warmed blanket. He hadn't woken up during the entire ordeal. Faith placed him carefully on a bed. Drying his hands on a towel, Carson finally turned to Nathan and Elizabeth.

"Carson…" Elizabeth said, trying to get some words out.

Carson put a hand on her shoulder. "I can't imagine what you're going through right now, Elizabeth. Or you, Nathan." He looked over at Jack. "None of his injuries are too bad, but it's going to take a while for them to heal."

"So he will be okay?" Elizabeth asked hopefully.

Carson sighed, looking grave. "Elizabeth, I won't tell you a falsehood. It's going to be touch and go for the next couple of days. Jack's injuries are cleaned and sutured, but infection is a very real danger. He's going to have to stay here for at least a week so that we can monitor him and keep his wounds clean." He hesitated. Nathan could tell there was more that Carson was reluctant to say.

"You can tell us, Carson," he said. "We want the full truth."

"He hasn't stirred since you brought him in," Carson said, his eyes worried. "He's unconscious, and that concerns me. I would feel a lot better about his chances if he would wake up."

"His chances?" Elizabeth said, her voice faint. "What are his chances?"

"Good if he wakes up and we can keep his wounds clean. Not so good if he doesn't wake up."

Tears rolled down Elizabeth's cheeks again, and she pressed her head to Nathan's shoulder. Nathan tightened his arm around her, knowing she was fighting the hardest battle of her life. Her child was in danger, and there was nothing she could do but wait and pray.

She looked at Carson imploringly. "Can I hold him?"

Now Carson's eyes took on pain and he paused before answering. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. Not yet. For the next few days he needs to stay as immobile as possible."

A sob broke from Elizabeth, her hand at her heart. She buried her face in Nathan's chest, letting the sobs continue. He held her, stroking her hair, and his tears finally fell, mingling with hers. His heart broke for her and all she must be going through, and it broke for the little boy lying there, so small and helpless, life hanging in the balance. A fierce protectiveness rose inside of him, and he held Elizabeth tightly. There was nothing he could do for little Jack, but he could be there for Elizabeth and for Allie.

Allie. Where was she?

"Carson, do you know if Allie came by?"

Faith answered. "I saw her outside when you first brought Jack in. After Carson was settled with Jack, I took her to the Coulters. Rosemary said she would watch her for as long as you need."

"Thank you, Faith," Nathan said, both relieved and worried. His poor niece had to be panicked, not knowing what had become of Jack. He noticed Elizabeth had pulled back and was looking at him, wiping the tears from her eyes.

The courage he knew she possessed shone from her eyes. "We need to go get Allie, Nathan. She must be worried sick." She leaned over the bed and kissed her little boy, clearing aching to hold him. "Mama will be back soon, Jack. We're going to go get Allie so that she can see you."

"I'll sit with him," Faith offered. "He won't be alone."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said, giving her a hug. She looked between Faith and Carson. "I appreciate you both more than you know." Clinging to Nathan's arm, they walked together from the infirmary.

Nathan stopped and tilted Elizabeth's face up, studying her. "Are you sure you're okay with coming with me? I can go get Allie if you want to stay with Jack."

She shook her head. "Allie needs us too. Carson and Faith will take good care of Jack until we return. I can't imagine what Allie is going through right now." She put a hand to his face. "Or you. I know how much you love him."

"Like my own son," Nathan said hoarsely, the past few hours finally catching up to him. He sat heavily on the bench outside the infirmary, head in his hands. "I didn't know I could feel like this, Elizabeth. So frightened and so helpless. I hate that there's nothing I can do to help Jack."

Elizabeth sat next to him, putting her arm around him. "You're doing what you can just by being here, Nathan. I'm so thankful to have you with me through this."

Nathan looked at her. "You must be feeling frightened yourself, sweetheart." The endearment just came out, like it always did. He loved her so much, and he hated to see her so sad.

She simply nodded. "I'm more terrified than I've ever been. But I also know that worry won't get me anywhere. I need to pray for my baby boy and keep watch. That's all I can do." She took a deep breath, then let it out. "Now, let's go get our little girl."

Nathan rapped at Rosemary's door, and it flew open. Allie stood there, her face a mask of anguish. "Is he alive?" she asked, her voice breaking as she said the words.

"Oh, honey," Elizabeth said, taking Allie in her arms. Nathan wrapped his arms around both of them, the three of them holding on to each other for comfort and support. "He's alive, Allie."

Nathan could hear Rosemary's sigh of relief, and she came to join their little group. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked, her eyes searching Nathan's for the answer.

"We don't know," he said wearily. "Carson did all he could. Now we need to keep him still and clean so no infection sets in." He paused. "And we need Jack to wake up."

"He hasn't woken up yet?" Allie asked, tears running down her cheeks. "He's been unconscious since that rock hit him!"

Worried that Allie's hysteria would rise, Nathan led his little family to the settee. "Let's sit," he said. "Allie, can you tell us what happened?"

Allie's face crumpled. She hid her face in her hands, sobbing. "It's...all...my...fault!" she cried.

"What happened, honey?" Nathan asked again, placing a hand on Allie's back and rubbing gently in circles.

Allie sniffed, trying to get the words out. "It started raining a lot by the river, and Laura wanted us to go straight home. I said we should take shelter in a cave until the rain stopped. We found that little cave and were waiting, but then the thunder and lightning came. It was so loud the rocks shook. Jack tried to leave the cave, and that's when the rocks fell." She gulped back a sob, but she couldn't stop the tears. "One of them hit him. Laura and I pulled him back, but he was hurt. He didn't move." Her tears fell in torrents. "If I had listened to Laura and we'd come back home, this wouldn't have happened!"

Elizabeth put an arm around Allie. "This was not your fault," she said firmly and steadily, looking Allie right in the eyes. "What happened to Jack was an accident. You made the right decision to seek shelter. This was a dangerous storm."

Allie's eyes focused on Elizabeth. "You're not mad at me?"

"No!" Elizabeth exclaimed, hugging Allie to her. "I'm proud of you for being so brave and protecting Jack until we found you."

"I'm proud of you too, Allie. Jack was lucky to have you with him," Nathan said.

Allie's eyes lightened momentarily, but then clouded over again. "But we don't know if he's going to wake up."

"Why don't we go see him?" Elizabeth suggested. "Then you can see how he's doing and talk to him."

"Okay," Allie said. She looked at Rosemary. "Are you coming too, Mrs. Coulter?"

"I'd love to, if it's okay with your uncle and aunt," Rosemary answered, giving Allie a hug of her own.

"Of course, Rosemary," Elizabeth said. "We would love to have you come."

"Well, then, let's go," Rosemary said in her typical take-charge fashion. Nathan could see the worry and pain in her eyes, despite the brave face she had on.

"Thank you, Rosemary," he said to her softly as they walked out the door with Elizabeth and Allie in front. "Elizabeth is lucky to have you for a friend."

"That's sweet of you, Nathan," Rosemary said, patting his arm. "Truth is, I need to see little Jack for my own peace of mind. I've been worried sick about him since I found out what happened. Let's hurry."

They got back to the infirmary. True to her word, Faith was sitting next to Jack. She had found a children's book and was reading to him as Carson filled out paperwork next to the bed. They both looked up. "He's still the same," Faith said in response to Elizabeth's unasked question. Nathan put his arm around her again, supporting her as they gathered around Jack's bedside. He put his other arm around Allie. His niece was pale and sad, but she took Jack's little hand in hers.

"Be careful not to move him," Carson said in gentle warning. "He needs to stay very still."

Allie nodded. She started talking to Jack, whispering words of love and encouragement to him. "Please wake up, Jack," she begged. "We need you here with us. Remember our camping trip? We can't go on that without you. We all need to be together."

Two days dragged on in that way, two of the longest days of Nathan's life. This endless waiting and watching, not knowing what the outcome would be, wreaked havoc on his emotions. He and Elizabeth took turns watching little Jack, with Allie there every moment she could spare. Bill had offered to act as sheriff until Jack woke up so that Nathan could keep watch. He'd never felt more of a kinship to Bill than in these past two days. Bill was just as worried as they were, and he stopped by the infirmary as often as he could.

Most of the town stopped by at one point or another, always with a kind word or support for the watchers. Lee and Rosemary came by the most frequently and would just sit with Nathan or Elizabeth, their presence supporting them in their need.

On the third day, Nathan was dozing by the bedside with Elizabeth curled up next to him. A weak sound came from the bed. Nathan's eyes shot open and he sat upright at the same time as Elizabeth. Little Jack's eyes were open. "Mama?"

"Jack!" Elizabeth cried, reaching out to grasp his hands in hers. "Mama's here, baby! Mama's here." She wept, tears of joy this time instead of sadness. Nathan felt a relief stronger than anything he'd ever felt before sweep through him. Jack was awake! He was going to be okay.

"A'tan?" Jack said, his eyes moving to Nathan. Nathan ran a finger down Jack's cheek, a huge smile on his face. "Hi, buddy. We're so happy to see you awake!"

Carson heard the exchange and came over. His face lit with a smile to see the little boy awake. He did a quick examination, then turned to Nathan and Elizabeth. "This is wonderful!" he said, a laugh breaking free. "I think I can safely say that Jack is going to make a full recovery! He's awake, and there are no signs of infection in any of his wounds."

"Praise God!" Nathan breathed, hugging Elizabeth to his side. "Did you hear that, sweetheart?"

Elizabeth laughed, the first one Nathan had heard from her in the past few days. "I heard it," she said. "Oh Nathan, this is the best news ever!"

He agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

Two days later, Elizabeth looked at Carson, itching to hold her son. He had been on medication to keep him still since he'd woken up, and Carson had continued to hold his ground against her doing so. "How much longer, Carson? How much longer until I can hold my baby?"

"Just another day, Elizabeth," Carson replied. "I know this is killing you not to hold him, but he just needs the time to recover without risk of reopening any injuries. If all looks good in the morning tomorrow, you can hold him."

A gentle snore from the bed turned their attention there. Nathan was lying there, having spent the night with little Jack. Even though they couldn't hold him, Carson had allowed one of them to sleep in Jack's bed each night to keep him company. Last night had been Nathan's turn.

Carson turned back to his work. Elizabeth sat next to the bed and studied the two of them, little Jack resting peacefully under the effects of the medication, and Nathan curled protectively next to him, one arm resting along Jack's side and the other over his stomach. Elizabeth smiled, seeing Nathan's unconscious attempt to protect Jack from any movement that could reopen his wounds. It touched her to see how much Nathan loved Jack, how he protected and cared for him.

The last few days had been some of the worst of her life. She'd never felt such terror at the unknown, even when Jack Sr had gone to the hostile Northern Territories. Her fear of losing her son was more powerful than anything she'd previously experienced. She had prayed more than ever before, begging God to protect and heal her son. Through it all, Nathan had been right there with her, holding her, caring for her, speaking words of comfort to her even though she knew he was just as terrified as she was.

He had been her rock. He had made sure she was cared for and that she didn't burn herself out. He had loved her selflessly through the whole ordeal.

Watching him now as he slept by her son, she realized all at once how much she loved him. She'd been on her way for a while, but this had sealed it. She was completely, irrevocably, totally in love with Nathan.

Elizabeth let the revelation sweep over her, one hand going to her heart. It hadn't been all at once, it hadn't been a quick or simple journey. It had stolen over her gradually as they lived their day to day lives together, as they raised Jack and Allie together, as Nathan courted her to win her heart.

And he had. She knew her heart was his, no matter what. She loved him.

She smiled to herself, her heart full. Glancing at Carson to make sure he was absorbed in his work, she leaned over the bed and kissed Nathan's forehead lightly, careful not to wake him. "You are a wonderful man, Nathan Grant," she whispered softly. "I'm so glad to have you in my life." Settling back into her seat, she decided to wait until Jack was at home again to reveal her feelings to Nathan.

But reveal them she would. Now that she had admitted to herself that she loved him, she was surprised by the depth and force of her love. It couldn't remain hidden. He deserved to know the truth.

Her love for him was unexpected and unlooked for, but it was there. For life.


	12. Chapter 12

Carson finally allowed Nathan and Elizabeth to take little Jack home, with strict instructions to keep him on medication for the next few days until it was safe for him to move without opening his stitches. Nathan held Jack carefully in his arms as Elizabeth readied a crib on her side of the room. She didn't want to be far away from little Jack at any time.

Nathan kissed Jack's head, holding him close. "We were so afraid of losing you, buddy," he said softly. "We're so thankful that you're still here with us."

Jack's eyes rolled up to look at Nathan, and he smiled his loopy medicated smile. Nathan chuckled. "It'll be good to have you back to yourself too. Once you're all better you'll be able to run around with Allie and be active again."

"Camp?" Jack asked, his eyes still on Nathan.

"Yes, camp. We'll go camping once you're better."

"'Kay," Jack said sleepily. His eyes were drooping, indicating how tired he was. Within a few minutes he was fast asleep and breathing deeply.

"His crib is ready," Elizabeth whispered. "Why don't you lay him down? He will probably sleep for a while."

Nathan nodded and laid Jack in the crib, covering him with the blanket. He reached down and ran his finger down Jack's soft cheek. "I can't believe we almost lost him," he said, his voice choking momentarily. He swallowed. "Finding out he would be okay was one of the happiest moments of my life."

Elizabeth put a hand on his back, looking over his shoulder at the little boy. "Mine too," she said. Her hand lingered for a moment, and Nathan felt tingles go down his spine at her closeness. She looked at him. "Have I thanked you yet for how level headed you were during this whole thing? Your quick actions probably saved little Jack's life."

"Maybe," Nathan said. "But your insistence on looking for the children is what started it. If you hadn't said anything, we never would have found them in time."

Elizabeth smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I guess we make a good team."

Nathan was having trouble thinking. Since the accident, Elizabeth had been leaning on him more, both literally and figuratively. He was glad that she trusted him enough to do so, but it was hard for him too. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her, but he restrained himself from doing so. He was not about to take advantage of the situation.

"We do make a good team," he agreed, remembering to answer her comment. He turned to face her with a smile. "Why don't we go downstairs? Allie and I can make some pancakes and eggs for dinner. You go curl up with a book or your journal."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "Really?" she said as they walked out of the room. "Are you sure?"

Nathan put a hand on her back as they walked down the stairs. "You haven't had a moment to yourself since Jack had his accident. You deserve some time to yourself." He gave her a gentle push toward the settee. "Now go relax."

She gave him a grateful smile and picked up the journal sitting on the end table. "Thank you, Nathan."

"Come on, Allie-girl," Nathan said to his niece, who was sprawled on the floor reading a book. "Let's cook up some pancakes."

"I love pancakes!" Allie said excitedly, jumping to her feet. She put the book on the table and joined her uncle in the kitchen. "What kind are we making?"

"How about banana blueberry?"

"Yum!" Allie and Elizabeth said in unison. They looked at each other and started laughing.

Nathan smiled. "That settles it, then. You get the fruit, and I'll start on the batter." The two of them worked perfectly in sync together, having perfected the art of pancake making as they moved all over the place with the Mounties. On evenings when they'd had to make a quick dinner, pancakes were always a good choice. Within ten minutes they had everything ready.

"Wow," Elizabeth said, shutting her journal with a smile and coming to the table. "That was efficient."

"We've been making pancakes together since I was four," Allie informed her proudly as they all sat down. Allie poured orange juice into cups and passed them around. After grace, they started eating, enjoying each other's company.

"This is nice," Allie said with a contented sigh. "It's good to have everyone back home, and having Jack with us and out of danger."

"Amen to that," Nathan said heartily. A noise from upstairs caught their attention, and Elizabeth stood. "I'll be right back." She vanished up the stairs, then within a minute came back down again with little Jack securely in her arms. She settled him on her lap and began feeding him small bites of pancake. With her attention on Jack, Nathan had an opportunity to study Elizabeth. Her head was bent over Jack, a tender smile on her face as she made sure he swallowed each bite. Her hair was falling tangled down her back and her dress was wrinkled from caring for him over the past week.

Nathan thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

His heart ached with a tender love for her that grew with each passing day. She was the love of his life and always would be.

Something caught his attention as he watched her. She was holding Jack in her left arm and feeding him with her right hand. Nathan's eyes landed on her right ring finger and he frowned, sitting up straight. No, he wasn't seeing things. Her finger was bare.

Hope welled in his heart. When had she taken the ring off? He glanced up to her eyes, seeing that she was still absorbed with little Jack. He made a mental note to ask her about that when they had a moment alone later. Smiling, he went back to his dinner, engaging Allie in conversation. Every so often he would look back at Elizabeth and catch her eyes, and they would share a smile. They had grown a lot together in the past week, and Nathan hoped with all his heart that her heart was starting to turn to his.

* * *

Later that evening Jack got fussy. Elizabeth stood to take him upstairs, but Nathan blocked her way. "I'll take him," he said, holding out his arms.

Elizabeth raised her brows. "Are you sure? You could use a little downtime with how busy you've been lately."

Nathan took Jack and bounced him lightly up and down, careful not to disturb his stitches. "I'm sure. You didn't get much you time earlier, so sit," he said, pointing to the settee. "Do something you want to do. I'll put Jack to bed."

That cherished feeling washed over Elizabeth again. She smiled. "If you insist." She leaned forward and kissed little Jack on the forehead. "Goodnight, my angel," she said softly. Jack had stopped fussing when Nathan bounced him, and he gave Elizabeth a sleepy smile. Nathan smiled at Elizabeth, then headed up the stairs, talking softly to little Jack. Elizabeth watched them until they were out of view, then sat on the couch and pulled a book from the table. Allie was occupied with a book of her own, her leg gently swinging to and fro as she read. Elizabeth allowed herself to get lost in her book too. It was a rare treat these days.

After about thirty minutes, Elizabeth stood and stretched. A sound from upstairs caught her attention. It was muffled and hard to make out. Her curiosity piqued, she quietly climbed the stairs. The sound was coming from her room, and it got slightly louder as she walked to the door. Poking her head inside, her breath caught in her throat.

Nathan was pacing gently next to Jack's crib, and he was singing soft lullabies while rocking Jack back and forth in his arms. Elizabeth had never heard him sing before. He had a smooth, rich voice, and though he was singing relatively quietly, the sound pierced Elizabeth's heart. As she watched, her heart once again swelled with love for this kind, gentle man who had managed to win her heart. She still hadn't told him, but she knew she couldn't wait much longer. It might not be romantic, but she knew she had to tell Nathan tonight. She crept back down the stairs, waiting for him to rejoin them in the living room.

In the short time she had been upstairs, Allie had fallen asleep on the settee. Elizabeth gently shook her shoulders. "Allie, let's go upstairs," she said in Allie's ear. Blinking, Allie roused enough to let Elizabeth help her up and guide her up the stairs. Collapsing in her bed, Allie was instantly asleep again. Elizabeth smiled and covered her with the blankets, then kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Allie." She shut the door behind her quietly, then headed for the stairs. She smiled as she heard Nathan's singing coming from the room. Little Jack must still be awake. She headed back for her book and settled in, waiting for Nathan.

She didn't have to wait long. Only a few minutes after she sat down, she heard Nathan's footsteps coming down the stairs. He sat next to her, running a hand through his hair. "Phew! Jack was not wanting to sleep," he said with a wry smile.

Elizabeth hid a grin. "I heard you singing to him."

He looked surprised. "You heard that?"

Elizabeth chuckled. "I sure did. You have a wonderful singing voice, Nathan."

He blushed. Elizabeth smiled, putting a hand to his cheek. "I mean it."

Nathan looked a little bashful, but he smiled at her. "Thank you, Elizabeth. Coming from you, that means a lot." He stood, heading for the kitchen. "I'm going to make peppermint tea. Do you want some?"

Elizabeth gazed after him, forgetting to answer his question. All she could think about was how kind and caring and loving he was. Why had it taken her heart so long to follow what her head knew? He was one of the best men she had ever known, and his love warmed her heart more than she thought possible.

Nathan looked back at her, a question in his eyes. She knew she hadn't answered his question yet, but she couldn't. Her heart was telling her that now was the time. She stood and went to him. He turned to face her, a smile on his face but confusion in his eyes.

Not knowing what exactly to say, Elizabeth just looked at Nathan for a moment. How was she supposed to let him know how much he meant to her? Floundering for words, she decided words weren't needed yet. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around Nathan tightly, resting her head on his chest. She could feel his quick intake of breath, then felt her heart soar as he wrapped his arms around her as well, holding her close, one hand on her back and the other gently stroking her hair.

Wrapped in his arms, Elizabeth felt loved and protected. Never one to be at a loss for words, she wondered at her own inability to speak, but somehow it didn't bother her. Just being there in Nathan's arms was enough. She snuggled closer to him. They had never embraced like this before, and it felt good and right.

Nathan leaned back a little and tipped Elizabeth's chin up with his finger. He looked deep into her eyes, searching. She could feel her love reflecting in them, and she hoped Nathan could see that. He must have, because his lips curled into a smile and he brought his hand to her cheek. "Are you sure?" he asked in a whisper.

Elizabeth simply nodded, her eyes never leaving his. Nathan framed her face with his hands, and he lowered his head until his lips met hers. Elizabeth closed her eyes, Nathan's gentle kiss sending butterflies twirling around in her stomach. He pulled back a little, his eyes once again meeting hers as if to ask if she was okay. In response, Elizabeth closed the gap between them and kissed him this time. His arms wrapped around her back, pulling her closer. He deepened the kiss, and she could feel the same passion that he'd shown the first time they had kissed. It took her breath away.

After several long moments they pulled apart, once again gazing into each other's eyes. Elizabeth finally found her voice. "I love you, Nathan. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to admit it, to you and to myself."

Nathan smiled, brushing some hair back from her face. "Don't apologize, Elizabeth. I'm glad you took the time you needed." He searched her eyes again. "You're sure?"

She nodded emphatically. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I love you, Nathan Grant, so very much. I'm so thankful that you came into my life."

He took her hand in his, rubbing her right ring finger. "When did this happen?"

Elizabeth looked at her hand, cradled in his. She'd wondered if he had noticed. Apparently he had. "Right before little Jack had his accident. I was here with Rosemary, and finally came to the conclusion that I was ready to move on. With you." She smiled. "Have I mentioned how grateful I am for you?"

Nathan touched his forehead to hers and smiled. "And I'm thankful for you too, Elizabeth. You are the love of my life. You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that you love me too."

"I think I might have an idea," Elizabeth said with a chuckle. They shared a laugh, then Nathan brought his lips to hers again, kissing her with all the love in his heart. When they pulled apart, Elizabeth leaned her head on his chest once again, feeling his heart beating in sync with hers. They stayed that way for a long time, their hearts finally united.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. _This is what home feels like._


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: Thanks for following along with this story! This is the last chapter before the epilogue. I hope you like it! If you want to read more Elizabeth/Nathan fanfic, I'll be writing a modern day one next. Coming soon! :)_

The next morning Elizabeth headed down the stairs yawning. Little Jack had been up and fussy for most of the night. She and Nathan had taken turns caring for him, and now he was sleeping peacefully upstairs. Elizabeth was still tired, and she was thankful that Rosemary had taken over her class while little Jack was recovering. She had a feeling she was going to need a nap later.

The aroma of fresh coffee greeted her as she walked into the kitchen. Nathan was making breakfast as was his custom. He grinned when he saw her. "Good morning, sweetheart. Do you want some coffee?"

"Do I want some coffee? Is that a trick question?" Elizabeth asked with a little smile, looking at him through bleary eyes. "Yes, please!"

Nathan poured her a mug and set it on the table. Taking her in his arms, he pressed his lips to hers. After a few moments, Elizabeth was wide awake and breathless. "My goodness, what was that for?" she asked, still held within the circle of his arms.

"Just to let you know that I love you," Nathan said with a smile, his eyes locked on hers. "And making sure your words last night weren't a dream."

Elizabeth put a tender hand on his cheek. "You weren't dreaming, Nathan. I love you so very much."

Nathan's eyes twinkled in the morning light, and he bent to kiss her again. Elizabeth closed her eyes, leaning into his kiss and his embrace. His intensity made her feel dizzy in the best possible way, and she felt like she could stay in his arms forever.

"Oh, gross!"

Nathan and Elizabeth broke apart to see Allie standing at the foot of the stairs, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Elizabeth blushed, but Nathan laughed. "Better get used to it, kiddo."

Allie walked primly to the table, a reflective look on her face and her nose slowly unwrinkling. She looked between them, taking in the way Nathan's arm was still around Elizabeth. A grin spread across her face, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Does this mean you're both in love?" she asked, hands clasped at her chin.

Elizabeth looked at Nathan with a smile. "It does, Allie. We are very much in love."

Allie clapped her hands. "Oh good! Does this mean I can have another cousin?"

Elizabeth's face suddenly felt like it was on fire. "Oh my word, Allie! I don't know." She glanced at Nathan, the blush deepening. "We haven't talked about that."

He smiled, looking entirely too relaxed. "That would be a good thing to talk about." He winked at her and grinned at Allie. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

At Allie's enthusiastic approval, Nathan started plating the food. Elizabeth cupped her coffee mug in her hands, taking some calming sips. She hadn't thought about having more children. She'd figured Jack would be her only child when she married Nathan. Now, with a declaration of love between them, this wouldn't only be a marriage of convenience. It would be a love-filled marriage.

She realized with startling clarity that she wanted to have Nathan's children. She wanted to experience pregnancies with a husband at her side, to have him there to help raise the children and to experience life together as parents, to have little people in the world who were part her and part him. She wanted it all.

Elizabeth stared at Nathan for a moment as his attention was on Allie. He was already a wonderful father to both Allie and Jack. She knew he would be a wonderful father to any future children they had. She smiled to herself, trying to picture Nathan holding a newborn baby.

He happened to glance her way as she was contemplating that image. He raised a brow. "What?"

She decided to be honest. "I'm just imagining you holding a little baby. It's adorable."

"Adorable?" He blinked. "I held Jack when he was a baby. Remember?"

Elizabeth laughed. "I certainly do. The fact that you were so good with him caught my attention." She smiled. "But what I really meant was I was trying to picture you holding your own newborn child."

His mouth fell open. He stood for several seconds staring at her, then he turned to Allie and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Allie girl," he said. "See you when I get home." He looked at Elizabeth. "I need to get to my rounds, but before I do, can we talk on the porch for a moment?"

"Are you two going to be mushy?" Allie asked, the disgusted look back on her face.

Elizabeth laughed. "I suppose that depends on what you mean by mushy." She tapped Allie on the nose. "Come get me if you hear Jack, okay?" Allie nodded, returning her attention to her breakfast.

Nathan closed the door behind them, then looked at Elizabeth. "You were picturing me holding a baby?" he asked with a raised brow.

Elizabeth nodded. "I know this isn't something we've ever talked about, Nathan, but Allie has a point. Do you want children?"

Nathan searched her eyes, hesitating for a moment. Finally, he responded slowly. "Yes, Elizabeth, I do. You're an incredible mother already, and I would love to raise more kids with you. But is that something you want?"

"It is," Elizabeth said, no reservation in her voice. "You might have noticed I like kids."

Nathan laughed. "I might have picked up on that one."

"Did the teaching give it away?" Elizabeth asked in a playful tone.

"That might have been a bit of a hint," Nathan said with another laugh. He glanced around, making sure they were alone, then stepped forward and took her in his arms. "So you're sure about this?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said with a firm nod, putting a hand on his cheek. "I'm positive." She leaned forward. "I think we're going to have to take down that curtain," she said in a conspiratorial tone.

Nathan grinned, then bent down to kiss her. Neither one realized Rosemary had come out onto her porch until they heard her squeal with delight. "Lee! They're in love!" she called to her husband, clapping her hands. "Oh, this is wonderful!"

Elizabeth laughed. Nathan shook his head. "That's the second time we were interrupted this morning," he said under his breath to Elizabeth. Raising his voice so their neighbor could hear, he said, "Good morning, Rosemary!"

She quickly scuttled over to their porch. Lee came through the door looking bewildered. "What's going on, Rosie?" he asked.

"They were kissing!" she declared loudly. Elizabeth suppressed a grin. All Hope Valley would know about this before long. That was something she was fine with. She wanted all to know she was deeply in love with Nathan Grant.

Rosemary came up the steps, clasping Elizabeth's hands. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed. "This is marvelous!" Her eyes lit up. "Since we didn't have a reception for your wedding, can we please do something now? I would love to plan a reception for you! Oh, and you could have a vow renewal ceremony so the whole town could come and celebrate! We could do it this weekend!"

Nathan's jaw dropped. "This weekend? I don't know much about receptions, but isn't that kind of short notice?"

"Not for Rosie," Lee said dryly, coming up the steps and putting an arm around his wife. "She will get it done."

"Oh please, let me do this for you!" Rosemary said. "It will be wonderful!"

Elizabeth and Nathan looked at each other. "I think that sounds great," Elizabeth said. "What do you think, Nathan?"

He smiled. "I think so, too." Looking at Rosemary, he nodded. "Alright, plan away, Mrs. Coulter!"

Rosemary squealed again. "Perfect!"

* * *

Sunday arrived amid a bustle of activity. Nathan was amazed at how quickly Rosemary managed to get everything together. True to her word, everything was done on time. She had enlisted the help of the whole town, who had come together willingly to celebrate. Nathan talked to more people than he ever had before whenever he ran into them in town that week.

"This is so exciting!" Molly told him. "We are so happy to celebrate you and Elizabeth!"

"Absolutely," Florence agreed, nodding her head vigorously. "We were skeptical when you got married so quickly, I don't mind telling you. But we're happy it all worked out in the end."

Later Nathan had run into Carson. "Nathan! Faith and I are so looking forward to the reception this weekend! Congratulations."

"Thanks, Carson," Nathan said with a smile. Not ten steps later he was stopped again, this time by Henry. "Looking forward to Sunday," Henry said with a pleasant nod. Nathan thanked him and tried to continue his rounds, but was stopped again by Fiona. "Congratulations, Nathan! See you Sunday!"

Again and again it happened. Normally Nathan didn't care for small talk, but this time it warmed his heart. The people of Hope Valley had rallied around him and Elizabeth, and he felt like it was truly home. He'd never met such kind, caring people before.

Now he was in the saloon with what felt like half the town, helping set up for the reception. There was food everywhere, and the saloon was decorated with white ribbons and lace. People bustled to and fro, putting last minute touches on various things. Nathan suddenly realized that Lucas was standing next to him.

"Thank you for offering the saloon for the reception," Nathan said. "That was very kind of you."

"My pleasure," Lucas said. They stood there in silence for a moment, then Lucas spoke again. "You know, I have to thank you."

"For what?" Nathan asked, perplexed.

Lucas smiled. "If you hadn't married Elizabeth, I never would have found the woman I truly care for."

Nathan's eyes followed his, coming to rest on Fiona. She noticed Lucas watching her and smiled, giving him a little wave. He waved back, his smile expanding.

"You and Fiona, huh?" Nathan asked. "Elizabeth thought you two would be good together."

"She was right," Lucas acknowledged. "I think I'm well on my way to falling for her."

"I'm glad," Nathan said sincerely. "I hope you two are happy together."

"Thank you," Lucas replied. "I think we will be." He slapped Nathan on the back. "And it looks like you and Elizabeth are happy, too. I'm glad of it. And I'm sorry for the way I criticized you when you two first got married."

"That's the past," Nathan said. "I'm just glad we're becoming friends. You're a good man, Lucas."

"So are you," Lucas said. Someone called his name, and he excused himself. Nathan looked around. Everything seemed ready. Rosemary came hurrying up to him, confirming his thoughts. "We're all ready, Nathan! You need to go get yourself ready. Go on, now! Hurry up!" She turned, waving at her husband. "Lee! Come help Nathan!"

"I'll be fine…" Nathan started, but Rosemary cut him off. "You are going to have help, Nathan Grant! No arguing!"

"Arguing is a useless venture with Rosie," Lee said, coming up beside them. "Come on, Nathan."

"I'm perfectly capable of putting on my own suit," Nathan said once they were back

at the row house. "Why did Rosemary think I needed help, exactly?"

Lee leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a grin on his face. "I think she was more concerned with making sure you're doing okay. We know you don't care for crowds."

"Well, that is true," Nathan admitted. "But this is Hope Valley. Everyone makes you feel like family."

"A very big family," Lee said with a chuckle. "So you are doing okay with all this?"

Nathan nodded. "I am. I'm looking forward to it."

Lee bobbed his head in approval. "Alright then. Let's go, shall we?"

They walked to the church together. The vow renewal was going to be between the church and the pond. Rosemary had crafted an archway and covered it with flowers. The ceremony itself was going to be short, and there was plenty of space for people to stand to witness it before they all headed to the saloon for the party.

Nathan stood under the archway with Pastor Simon, waiting for Elizabeth to come out of the church. Rosemary came first, holding little Jack. She met Lee and Allie at the front near Nathan. "She's coming!" she said in a loud whisper. Nathan looked toward the church and caught his breath.

Elizabeth was walking toward him in a dress he'd never seen before. It was the same color as her eyes with a white sash tied around her waist and a matching white ribbon threaded through her hair. She looked stunning.

The crowd vanished. Nathan had eyes only for Elizabeth. He was amazed at how different this moment felt from their wedding. He had been so concerned then, both for her and for his situation with Allie, and here in this moment he felt only joy. It amazed him how much had changed between him and Elizabeth since their wedding. She wasn't just his wife. She was his forever love.

He took her hands as she joined him under the flowered archway. He smiled at her. "You look beautiful."

She grinned back. "And you look very handsome."

Pastor Simon smiled, looking between them and then out at the crowd. "Six months ago, Nathan and Elizabeth were joined in marriage under some unusual circumstances. Their marriage was still true and valid, but they have come here today to renew those vows in front of their family friends to celebrate their newfound love." Turning to Nathan, he said, "Nathan, do you renew your vow to love, honor, and cherish Elizabeth, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, until death do you part?"

"I do," Nathan said, smiling at Elizabeth and getting lost in her eyes.

"Elizabeth, do you renew your vow to love, honor, and cherish Nathan, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, until death do you part?"

"I do," Elizabeth said, conviction ringing in her voice.

"And do you both promise to love and honor Allie and Jack as your children?"

"We do," they said in unison, smiling at the children. Allie beamed back. Little Jack had his thumb in his mouth, watching the proceedings with fascination.

Pastor Simon grinned. "Consider your vows renewed. Nathan, you may kiss your wife."

Nathan took Elizabeth in his arms and kissed her amid the cheers and hurrahs of their friends and neighbors. Nathan felt little arms around his waist, and they both looked down to see Allie with an arm around each of them, a big smile on her face. Rosemary brought little Jack to Elizabeth. The four of them stood together, smiling at one another, when a flash went off. Nathan looked up to see Carson with a camera, grinning from ear to ear. "Perfect!" Carson said. "This is going to be a great picture."

"Thanks, Carson!" Elizabeth said, shifting Jack to one arm and putting the other around Allie. Nathan cocooned them all in his arms.

"Feel free to make your way to the saloon for the party, everyone!" Lucas called out, standing next to Fiona, one arm casually around her shoulders. "There will be plenty of food and drink and dancing!"

People started heading that way. Rosemary and Lee came up to join Nathan and Elizabeth. Rosemary was sporting a tiny baby bump and was glowing. Nathan was so happy for her and Lee. They had wanted a child for so long, and now they were finally going to have one.

"Thank you for organizing all of this, Rosemary," Elizabeth said. "It came together beautifully."

"Naturally," Rosemary said with her signature flair, giving Elizabeth a hug. "You know I love doing these kinds of things. And when it's for my best friend, well, that makes it a million times better."

"You're the best, Rosemary."

"I know!" Giving them a sassy smile, she and Lee headed for the saloon, their arms linked.

"Shall we follow them?" Nathan asked, looking at his family. _His family. _Those words would never, ever get old.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes." The four of them walked together, Jack in Elizabeth's arms, Nathan holding Allie's hand. They were bonded together in a special way, and Nathan couldn't wait to see what the future held. As long as it had Elizabeth, Jack, and Allie, it would be good.

* * *

Elizabeth laughed as Nathan twirled her around the dance floor. "Nathan, I had no idea you could dance!"

His eyes twinkled. "There's a lot you don't know about me." He pulled her close and murmured in her ear, "But we have our whole lives to figure out more about each other."

She smiled at him, her heart reflected in her eyes. "I'm looking forward to that."

"Me too." He twirled her again, then brought her back to his arms, holding her close. He squinted at a spot behind Elizabeth. "Is that Robert dancing with Allie?"

Elizabeth craned her neck to look. "Why yes, yes it is." She grinned at the sudden look of protectiveness on Nathan's face. "Oh, stop. They're friends and having fun together."

"If you say so," Nathan said doubtfully, his eyes firmly fixed on Robert. Elizabeth turned so that he had to follow.

"You're cute when you're protective," she said playfully, batting her eyes at him.

Nathan laughed. "Okay, I'll admit it. Your distraction technique is working."

"Good." Elizabeth grinned. "We wouldn't want you to be too protective. Allie needs some independence, you know."

"You're right," he admitted grudgingly. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Elizabeth said with a chuckle.

The song ended, and all the dancers clapped. Nathan led Elizabeth to a table and seated her. "I'll be back with some food," he said, heading for the long food tables. No sooner had he left than Clara and Faith sat next to Elizabeth.

"We are so happy for you, Elizabeth! You and Nathan are perfect together," Faith said.

"It's wonderful to see you in love," Clara said softly. "I know it can be hard to believe second chances are possible when it comes to love, but you and Nathan have proven just how beautiful second loves can be."

Elizabeth smiled. "So have you and Jesse." She looked over at Nathan, who was talking to Lucas as he filled two plates with food. "But you're right. I thought love was over for me when Jack died. I'm so thankful that I was wrong. I love Nathan more than I thought was possible. He's so good to me, and to little Jack and Allie."

Faith nodded. "Everyone can see how much you all love each other. It's wonderful."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said. She took their hands, giving a light squeeze. "And we can't wait to see you both get your happily ever after soon too."

They laughed together happily, then Faith and Clara excused themselves. Nathan came back soon after, bearing the plates. Rosemary fluttered over with little Jack, placing him in Elizabeth's arms. "He wants his mama," she said. "And my husband promised me a dance!" She vanished as quickly as she'd come.

Nathan smiled. "She certainly has a lot of energy."

Elizabeth broke off some bread and fed it to Jack. "That she does. I don't remember having nearly as much energy when I was pregnant with Jack." They chatted a bit as they ate, interrupted frequently by well-wishers and friends. Elizabeth didn't mind the interruptions. It warmed her heart to see how much the town cared and how happy they were for her and Nathan. Hope Valley truly was home.

"Attention, please!" Bill called out. Silence descended on the saloon. Bill held up a glass. "Nathan and Elizabeth, I think I speak for all of us when I say we're happy to see you both happy and in love. May your life together be long and joyful."

Everyone clapped and toasted. Elizabeth smiled at Nathan. Bill cleared his throat. "In honor of the two of you, we as a community have a special gift we'd like to give you."

Elizabeth's brows raised. She looked at Nathan. "Did you know about this?"

He looked as baffled as she did. "I had no idea."

Bill grinned, clearly enjoying the element of surprise. "We are going to build you a house on whatever piece of land you want."

Elizabeth and Nathan's jaws dropped in unison. "What?" Nathan said, clearly speechless.

"L. Coulter Enterprises, Gowen Petroleum, Abigail's Cafe, and the Queen of Hearts Saloon will be supplying most of the funding, and the townsfolk want to pitch in with building the house. All you have to do is find a piece of land you like and then draw up some plans with Lee. We'll get it all taken care of."

Elizabeth felt tears spring to her eyes. "Are you serious?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Bill heard her anyways.

"Yes, Elizabeth, we're sure. You've both done so much for this town. We want to show you just how much we love you both."

"Wow," Nathan said, standing. He shook Bill's hand wordlessly, surprise and wonder on his face. He looked around at all the people gathered there. "Thank you so much, everyone! Elizabeth and I are touched and honored by your love and support."

"Yes, thank you!" Elizabeth echoed, awed. "This is such a surprise!"

Bill smiled. "We'll get started on planning right away." He spread his arms. "Enjoy the rest of the party, folks!"

Nathan sat next to Elizabeth again, both of them sitting there in stunned silence for a few moments. Finally, Nathan shook his head. "This is incredible," he said. "I can't believe it." He paused. "Actually, that isn't entirely true. This is Hope Valley. It doesn't surprise me at all."

Elizabeth smiled, putting a hand on his arm. "This is the best place in the world. Where else would you find such wonderful, caring people?"

"Where indeed?" Nathan replied. He leaned forward and kissed Elizabeth, lingering for several heartbeats. When he pulled back, he smiled. "This is the perfect place to live our lives together and raise a family. I'm so glad this is our home."

"Me too," Elizabeth said, her heart full. She put a hand on his cheek. "And I'm so glad I get to live it with you."

Nathan smiled. "I love you, Elizabeth."

She leaned forward this time and kissed him tenderly, letting him feel her love. "And I love you, Nathan. Forever."


	14. Epilogue

One_ Year Later_

Nathan paced the floor anxiously, feeling like time was passing much too slowly. He looked at the clock on the wall for the hundredth time. Running his hands through his hair, he let out a pent-up breath.

Lee eyed him, holding six-month-old Lily in his arms. "Nathan, sit down. You're burning a hole into the floor with all that pacing. And we just got this house finished a few months ago! Do I have to repair it already?"

Nathan sat for all of ten seconds, then got back up again. "I can't sit still, Lee. I'm too nervous. What's taking so long?"

"These things take time," Lee said with a chuckle. "Rosemary was in labor for over a day with Lily. I'm sure Elizabeth is just fine."

A loud cry from Elizabeth punctuated his sentence. Nathan's head followed the sound, and he wanted nothing more than to be up there with her, but Rosemary had forbidden it.

"I hate the thought of her suffering," Nathan said, a little break in his voice. "What a time for Carson to be out of town!"

Lee stood and clapped Nathan on the back. "That's part of childbirth, my friend. Elizabeth is going to be fine, and so will the baby. Carson may not be here, but Rosemary helped deliver Jack. She knows what she's doing."

"I know," Nathan sighed. "But this waiting is killing me."

"You'll be fine," Lee said calmly.

Nathan eyed him. "As I recall, you were just as bad as me, if not worse, when Rosemary went into labor."

Lee shifted Lily, patting her back gently. "Details, Nathan. It's different when it's your own child."

"Gee, thanks," Nathan said dryly. "Very helpful."

Lee grinned. "Glad to be of service."

Nathan laughed in spite of himself. He knew Lee was trying to lighten his mood and distract him. It almost worked. But another cry from Elizabeth brought him right back to his worrying. The next hour was much the same, until he heard a long cry and then silence. He stopped at the foot of the stairs, listening.

After a few minutes the door opened, and Rosemary called down, "Nathan?" He took the stairs two at a time, coming to a halt in front of Rosemary. "Is she okay?" he asked breathlessly.

Rosemary smiled. "Of course she is. Come on in and meet your baby."

Nathan felt awe wash over him. He stepped into the room. Elizabeth was sitting up in their bed, a small bundle cradled in her arms. She looked exhausted and weary, but she was smiling. Joy shone from her face. "Nathan," she said as he sat on the side of the bed. "We have a daughter." She smiled down at the child in her arms.

"A daughter," Nathan said in wonder, leaning forward to see her. The baby was wrapped carefully in a blanket, her little eyes closed. "She's so small!"

Elizabeth laughed lightly. "She is. Isn't she beautiful?"

A smile crossed Nathan's lips. "That she is. Just like her mama." He cupped Elizabeth's face in one hand, giving her a gentle kiss. They both gazed at their daughter, taking in her tiny features.

"Here," Elizabeth said, holding out the baby. "Hold her."

Nathan carefully accepted the precious bundle. He rocked her in his arms, amazed at how this child was part of him and part of Elizabeth. "Hello, little one. I'm your daddy." He ran a finger over her soft cheek. "I love you very much." He looked up at Elizabeth. "Which name did you want to call her?"

They had been over several options, and Nathan liked all of them. He had told Elizabeth he would leave the final choice to her.

Elizabeth leaned back on the pillows, studying the baby. "I think she looks like a Sophia," she said.

Nathan felt his heart swell. The fact that Elizabeth chose that one meant a lot to him. He smiled. "It fits her well." He took one of Elizabeth's hands, raising it to his lips. "And thank you, Elizabeth. I feel honored that you want her to have my sister's name."

She returned his smile. "You get to pick her middle name."

He answered without hesitation. "Elizabeth. Sophia Elizabeth Grant."

Elizabeth nodded. "I like it. That's what we'll call her." She yawned, clearly tired from her labor and delivery. "Where are Allie and Jack?"

"They're with Bill. He said he'd bring them by once word came that the baby was here. I'm sure Rosemary is letting him know as we speak." He placed Sophia next to Elizabeth. "Why don't you rest for a bit? I'll make sure the kids are okay, and then we'll come up to see you again."

"Okay," Elizabeth agreed sleepily. She beckoned him toward her, her hand reaching up to his shirt to pull him close. She kissed him, then smiled. "I love you, Nathan."

"I love you, Elizabeth. Now rest, sweetheart." He bent to kiss her one more time, then kissed Sophia's forehead. "And I love you too, little Sophia."

He quietly slipped from the room, closing the door behind him. He stood there for a moment, his heart swelling with emotion. He hadn't thought his heart could be any more full, but it was. It was expanding and growing, creating room for his new daughter. He already loved her more fiercely than he thought possible. And his love for Elizabeth was growing too. Nathan smiled, heading down the stairs. Love was a powerful thing.

* * *

Elizabeth woke to the door opening. Nathan peeked in. "Hey, sweetheart. Are you up for some young visitors?"

"Of course," Elizabeth said, sitting up. She picked up Sophia and cradled her. Nathan opened the door, and Allie and Jack walked in. Allie lifted Jack onto the bed, then sat on the side of it. Her eyes were wide with wonder. "She's beautiful, Aunt Elizabeth!"

"Sister?" Jack asked, looking at the little girl, something akin to awe on his face as well. He had begun to understand the concept of a baby when Lily was born, and now he saw that his mama had one as well.

"Yes," Elizabeth said, to both of them. "This is Sophia Elizabeth." She smiled at Allie. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Oh, yes!" Allie breathed, positioning herself to sit right next to Elizabeth. She cradled her new baby cousin carefully in her arms, a smile on her face. Jack peered at the baby, touching her little hand. Sophia's fingers curled around one of his, and a smile broke across Jack's face. "She likes me!" he exclaimed with delight.

Elizabeth and Nathan smiled. "Of course she likes you, my sweet boy," Elizabeth said, giving him a kiss on the head. "You're her big brother."

"Me a big brother!" Jack repeated proudly, letting Sophia continue to hold on to his finger.

Nathan sat next to Elizabeth, putting an arm around her. "Our little family keeps growing," he said, his eyes on the children. "Watching them together makes my heart happy."

"Mine too," Elizabeth said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"For the record, Rosemary is already delighted at the prospect of Lily and Sophia becoming best friends."

"I'm sure she is," Elizabeth said with a chuckle. "She's already started planning Jack and Lily's wedding, so planning a friendship must be a lot easier."

They laughed together, their eyes still focused on the children. Allie and Jack were clearly head over heels with Sophia. Elizabeth could tell Nathan was too. The look on his face when he'd held his daughter for the first time was something Elizabeth would remember forever. She turned to look at him, placing a hand on his cheek.

"Have I told you lately how much I love and appreciate you, Nathan?"

He smiled, his eyes burning into hers. "Yes, you have. And I love and appreciate you right back."

"I know." She shook her head, amazement filling her. "This isn't how I thought our lives would turn out. But I'm so glad they did."

"Me too," he whispered, giving her a gentle kiss. "And the best is yet to come."

Elizabeth smiled, feeling safe and protected within the circle of his arms. Allie and Jack talked to each other softly, giving equal attention to each other and to Sophia. Elizabeth's heart was full, and she knew Nathan was right.

The best was yet to come.


End file.
